Harry's Last Hope
by teachersnape64
Summary: The summer following Sirius death, Harry is filled with guilt. Snape helps him prepare for the battle of his life against Voldemort! Over 1,ooo,ooo hits! Harry rocks! Not a Severitus but close.
1. Chapter 1 A Dog's Life

I own nothing in the story.

This story takes place summer after fifth year.

Follows the books until the end of book five, then the story no longer follows the books.

I am not happy with the first 10 chapters but I promise if you stick with the story it gets better.

One last note: I hope you can spare a moment to review every ten chapters. I don't ask for much but a few words to let me know what you are thinking so far. It is the only payment I get. Enjoy the story and stick with it.

Chapter 1- A Dog's Life

The train ride 'home' had not been long enough for Harry. He sat quietly staring out the window the entire way home. Even the sound of the trolley carts squeaky wheels couldn't pull his thoughts away from Sirius. Sirius was dead. He would never see his Godfather's face again. Never see the big black dog wagging his tail. The thought of being so alone nearly sent Harry into a panic attack.

He thought back to his wild behavior in Professor Dumbledore's office. All those delicate little objects lying broken on the floor. It all didn't matter in the end because he still had no one in which he could trust. Dumbledore had forever broken his trust by holding back information that would have kept him away from the ministry, away from getting Sirius killed.

And Remus … well Remus was having just as hard a time dealing with Sirius' death as he was. Besides he really didn't deserve to have Remus alleviate any of his pain.

The guilt over killing his Godfather almost swallowed him whole. If there was any way to exchange his life for that of his Godfather's he would have done it in a second. He noticed the worried looks from his friends but chose to ignore them. What did Ron and Hermione know about pain and loss? They had no idea what losing your last link to family would feel like.

When the train finally arrived to London, Ron and Hermione stood by his side until Vernon yanked him away to begin the hell that was his life. He didn't look back at the looks of horror he knew his friends now wore. Vernon yelled at him all the home about what a nuisance he was. Before they even arrived at Privet Drive Harry had earned himself a swift backhand from his Uncle for back talking.

Vernon had the audacity to say he was happy 'that convict Godfather of yours' was dead. Now they wouldn't have to worry about criminals lurking about. Harry snapped and before he even thought better of it he yelled at his Uncle to shut up. Vernon wasted no time in pulling the car to the side of the road and smacking Harry across the face.

Instead of protesting Harry felt he deserved it. Not for yelling at his Uncle but for all the other regretful things he had done. It calmed him down enough to completely tune out his Uncle's voice and concentrate on feeling guilt-ridden over the death of his Godfather once again.

Things didn't improve when he got home. Dudley looked bigger and stronger than the previous year and openly challenged Harry to a boxing match. Now that Dudley was the golden gloves champion of his school he felt that everyone was fair game to beat up. Uncle Vernon encouraged the intimidating behavior and even went so far as to boast about him to anyone who would listen. Harry's refusal to fight had brought about taunting and ridicule that Harry hadn't experienced since grade school.

All the ridicule and cruel remarks sent Harry into further depression making him loath himself even more.

In the end Harry was so sad and depressed that the family wanted nothing to do with him. He was expected to finish a long list of chores and then return to his room to eat his one and only meal of the day. Even that meager meal had been hard to get down. He had begun to lose weight at an alarming rate. Between the chores in the hot summer sun and the sparse meals, he begun to feel dizzy frequently throughout the day.

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Vernon had been looking forward to spending the day with his sister Marge. His life had been so hard lately with his boss yelling at him at work and the bills piling up at home. It had all started when that freak boy came back from his freak school. The boy just wasn't right with his sulking attitude and gloomy demeanor. He decided to ask Marge's opinion on the boy's odd behavior, hoping she would be able to give him advice on how to snap the boy out of his attention seeking ways.

Marge was very wise and knew how to handle such behavior since she had so much experience with handling the dogs that she bred. Her advice had been to the point; beat it out of him.

"Marge, I'm just at a loss as to what to do with the boy. He seems to be putting a dark cloud over the whole house," Vernon said in anger as he watched his sister take another sip of brandy.

"I tell you Vernon, he's a bad influence on our Dudley. The last thing you want is Dudley to start acting like that boy," Marge said with authority and poured another round of brandy for herself and Vernon.

"No, no, that wouldn't do at all. Dudley's such a happy fellow and that freak boy just isn't right, you know?"

"It's like I said before, when there's something wrong with the bitch then there's something wrong with the pup. It's too bad you couldn'thave drowned him at birth, like I need to do from time to time with my dogs," Marge gave Vernon a pat on the arm.

"Believe me if I had known how bad he was going to turn out I would of left him at someone else's doorstep!" They both had a good laugh over that thought.

"Well Vernon, there's only one thing left to do. You must whip him into shape. I don't believe in that namby pamby approach, using kind words and rewards for his type. You must use a cane or a belt on the boy," Marge said with authority.

"Oh Marge, I'm not sure how Petunia will take that," Vernon thought it a fine idea but didn't know if Petunia would approve.

Marge leaned forward in her chair and said with a slight slur to her words, "Don't let her know. Make the boy keep his mouth shut."

Vernon thought that over for a moment and came to the conclusion that he would need to take something special away from him to make the boy keep from telling anyone about his 'lessons'.

"Yes Marge this may work. At least it's worth a try. I'm getting tired of the boy's disrespectful looks and sorry attitude. The next time he steps out of line he will have to answer to me," Vernon had an odd excitement fill him with that thought.

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Vernon pulled into the driveway and saw that the boy had disobeyed him by not trimming the rose bushes back as he had been told to do. That's all it took to get a drunk, angry Vernon started on his new plan of discipline for the boy.

"Boy, get your freakish self down here!" Vernon screamed from the living room, knowing that Petunia and Dudley were out. Now that the boy's convict godfather was dead, Vernon knew he wouldn't get caught punishing Harry. Hell, he even looked forward to it!

"Yes Uncle Vernon?" Harry called as he came running.

"Did you finish all your chores boy?" Uncle Vernon growled.

"I think so," Harry said with trepidation as he smelt the alcohol coming from his uncle.

"You little liar" Vernon screamed as he backhanded Harry across the face with such force that Harry fell against the telly. The television wobbled and fell crashing to the floor. Uncle Vernon turned five shades of purple at the sight of his television on the floor.'Now that good for nothing freak is going to begin to pay!' thought Vernon, with an odd excitement.

Harry sat on the ground rubbing his face, in complete shock.

"Get up to your room boy! I'm going to give you the punishment you deserve!"

"Whoa, wait a minute! This is rubbish! You can't do this," screamed Harry, his anger rising but still in shock. He stood up and took a few steps back as his uncle came closer. _What the bloody hell is going on?_

Vernon grabbed Harry by the front of his oversized shirt and pushed him towards the stairs.

Harry began walking towards his room with Vernon walking behind him, pushing him every step or two. Harry was trying to figure out how he could get his wand out of the locked closet in the hallway. He'd worry about the consequences later with the Ministry of Magic.

"Uncle Vernon why are you doing this!" Harry asked in a panicked voice.

Vernon slurred out, "Because you're nothing but a murdering freak! Yes, I know all about the way you killed that boy last year and now your convict godfather is dead."

Harry's heart nearly stopped over hearing those words. The guilt and pain was so fresh and raw that his heart actually hurt. Everything Vernon said was true, he was a murderer.

When they finally reached his room, Vernon grabbed the back of Harry's hair and pushed him into the wall. Vernon struggled to pull his belt off his extremely large waist still holding the boy's head against the wall. Harry pushed his head against his Uncle's hand and tried to turn around. Vernon wrapped the belt around his meaty paw while the buckle end dangled down, then raised his arm high in the air. Harry continued to struggle out of his Uncle's hold but was pushed harder into the wall.

"Turn around boy and if I hear so much as a peep out of you, that bird will be floating in a bucket of water! Shut up and put your hands on the wall!" Vernon hissed in the boy's ear.

Harry was about to protest again but Vernon quieted him with a punch to the ribs.

He glanced over at Hedwig sitting in her cage and turned back around facing the wall placing his palms flat against it. Whatever his Uncle planned for him would be less painful then losing Hedwig. He still couldn't wrap his mind around what was happening to him.

He was suddenly pulled into a reality filled with pain as the belt made painful contact with his back. Harry took in a sharp breath and bit his lip to hold back a scream. The belt continued to rise and fall until Harry could take no more and crumpled to the ground, taking large gulps of air. He was just on the brink of screaming out in pain when his uncle stopped.

Vernon finally exhausted himself with all the effort it took to punish his nephew. He felt that freak deserved more but he was too tired at the moment to continue. He grabbed the boy by the back of the hair again and made him look up at him. Seeing the boy's petulant face angered him further.

"You cause nothing but problems boy! You know you deserved this. Your freak school let me know how you killed your Godfather. You deserve to be punished, so don't go blabbing this to your mates or that owl of yours will pay!" With that he grabbed the owl in her cage and slammed the door closed and locked it. Harry could hear him get in his car and drive away, wheels screeching. Hedwig was gone.

Harry tried to push himself up onto the bed but the pain coming from his back was too great. He slowly sank back down to the floor and layed on his stomach, panting with the effort. He was trying so hard to hold back his cries.

'Uncle Vernon is right,' thought Harry. 'I did cause Sirius to die. It was my fault'. A worse thought entered his mind, a thought that would change the course of his life:'I deserved to bebeaten.'

When he awoke the next morning it was to thunderous steps coming towards his room. He tried to scramble up as best he could but the pain in his back was making him move slow. He bit his lip to hold back a scream, causing a cut to reopen again. The door burst open and Uncle Vernon glared down at him.

"Laying about again, you lazy freak!" yelled Vernon noticing the bloody lip.

"You better not bleed all over the floor or your aunt will be plenty mad!"

He threw down a long list of chores and stomped out of the room.

Harry picked up the list and knew he better get started or he would not be finished in time.

He was so hungry and thirsty but he would have to make himself forget about that for now. Harry picked up an old shirt and pushed it onto his lip to stop the flow of blood. When it finally stopped he made his way downstairs, each step an effort. He painstakingly began to clean the kitchen. Aunt Petunia and Dudley must have gone out for the day so he would be able to sneak some bread and water and any leftovers from the morning meal. After scrubbing the floor till it shone, he made his way down the long list and headed down to the basement. He just couldn't gather why his Uncle had treated him so harshly but kept thinking he had deserved some sort of punishment for killing his godfather.

Harry didn't even realize it was almost 6:00 pm until he came up from cleaning the basement and saw how the sun was starting to set. Still he didn't see Aunt Petunia or Dudley home yet. Suddenly the front door flew open and banged against the wall, Vernon strode in looking smug.

"Boy! Get over here!"

"Yes sir," Harry said sharply.

"Did you get your chores done?" Vernon's fat flabby face pushed down closer to the pathetic teen.

"Yes I cleaned everything," Harry said in an angry voice. "Uncle Vernon where is my owl?"

"That's none of your concern, you just do as I say and the bloody bird will live.You'd better of done all your chores boy?" Vernon began to make his way down to the basement.

"I did," said Harry, tentatively following his uncle down the stairs.

Vernon began looking for any infraction down in the basement. Right away he saw that the boxes hadn't been stacked neatly. _Wasn't that # 4 on the list_?

"Get over here, you good for nothing laze about!"

Harry slowly continued making his way downstairs knowing what was to come. He knew he could make a run for it but he thought of Hedwig. He wasn't about to lose her too. He didn't care anymore about anything. Because of him Sirius died. Because of him he lost the one chance, the one hope of escaping this place. Now he felt he would pay the price.

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	2. Chapter 2 Broken

Chapter 2

When Harry awoke he was in a small dark space, the cupboard under the stairs. He couldn't remember how he got there. The last thing he remembered was the punishment he had endured last night. He wasn't sure how long he had been there but guessed overnight, as he could see bright sun through the slats on the door. The small space was just as he remembered it from all those years in this so called "bedroom". Small, dark and crawling with spiders.

Harry hadn't been exactly sure what had triggered Uncle Vernon's violent behavior but knew it all had to do with him. He knew it was wrong but didn't know what to do anymore. He couldn't tell any of his friends without the help of Hedwig and was actually too humiliated to ask for help. If the Muggles found out then he might end up in an orphanage. That was the last place he wanted to be. The less he had in common with Voldemort the better.

The sound of Aunt Petunia's shrill voice yelling for him filled his throbbing head like a sharp knife. He could feel every bruise and cut along his back as he rolled over toward the door. It took everything he had not to scream out in pain.

"Harry? Harry! Where is that freak?" Petunia yelled.

"He's lazing about somewhere my love," Vernon said in a 'know it all' tone of voice. "Probably causing trouble again. I told you he got into a fight yesterday, didn't I?"

Aunt Petunia shook her head and went out the back door looking for her good for nothing nephew.

As soon as the screen door slammed shut, Vernon snuck over to the cupboard and flung the door open. He quickly grabbed a handful of Harry's hair and pulled. Out tumbled a shocked and injured Harry onto the floor.

"Get out here, you freak!" yelled Uncle Vernon, giving him a mighty kick in the ribs to wake him up.

Harry bit his lip to stop any sound escaping, so he wouldn't be punished further.

"Uncle Vernon why are you doing this to me? What did I do?" He wished he had his wand to defend himself. At this point he didn't care if the ministry charged him with under age magic. At least he would still be alive.

"Get upstairs quick and shower and change before Petunia sees you, you filthy beggar!" Uncle Vernon hissed in Harry's ear as he pulled him to his feet.

Harry stumbled backwards as he made his way to the stairs, squinting from the bright sun and never turning his back to his Uncle. When he reached the stairs he turned towards them and pain stakingly made his way up. He could still hear Aunt Petunia's shrill voice calling for him outside.

Harry showered as best as he could, all the while holding his ribs where Uncle Vernon had kicked him. He avoided looking into the steamy mirror when he emerged from the shower. He slowly dressed in a t-shirt three sizes too big and a pair of oversized trousers, both once belonging to Dudley. He just felt so empty, so distant from what was happening to him. Almost as if he was watching someone else. He knew he needed to get help but how could he get help without Hedwig? _Please let Hedwig be alright._

Harry slowly made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen to find the now shrieking Aunt Petunia.

"Oh Lovely!" Petunia shrieked when she saw him. "What sort of trouble did you get yourself into now! We are having company tonight!" Petunia put her hand to her chest and shook her head. "Lovely, this is just lovely ... an incorrigible delinquent for all the neighbors to see. I can't have you looking like **that** in front of others, thankfully its only Figg."

"I ... I'm sorry Aunt Petunia. I erm, sort of fell and I don't feel so good," Harry said, holding his ribs where Vernon had kicked him just moments before and scanning the room to make sure his Uncle wasn't around.

"I don't give a hoot how you feel. This whole supper is all your fault and you're going to be there whether you feel good or not! Can't believe we're putting our good money towards a supper with the crazy old cat lady Figg!" Petunia shrieked as she shoved her nephew towards the stove to begin cooking supper.

Harry thought back to a week ago, before the beatings had begun. He remembered the look on Mrs. Figg's face when she had first spotted him working in the garden.

He had been working all day without so much as a scrap of food since the previous evening. He was weary and bone tired when a shadow fell across the patch of weeds he was picking. He looked up into the concerned face of Mrs. Figg.

"Now they gotcha workin like a house elf do they?" The squib asked with contempt. "I have a good mind to write Dumbledore and let him know how they're treatin' you. Merlin, if the wizarding world ever found out how the-boy-who-lived, really did live, they would be breakin down Fudge's door!"

By this time Harry had sat back on his heels and was looking up at his old babysitter a.k.a. Dumbledore's spy.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead and shook his head, "Don't bother telling Dumbledore Mrs. Figg. I'm sure he's busy dealing with the mess I made."

"Oh, your talking bout the ministry fiasco and Sirius Black then?"

"Yeah, I really messed up. I don't mind working in the yard. It takes me away from them," Harry said as he pointed to the house with his thumb.

Mrs. Figg looked towards the house and saw the pointy face of Petunia looking out the window. Petunia realized she had been spotted and waved towards them with a stiff smile. At that point Arabella decided to have a little chat with Petunia and made her way towards the house.

Harry quickly followed to see what would be said.

Mrs. Figg stopped outside the window and gave a wave, "Hi there Petunia dear. I see you've got Harry workin hard this summer."

Petunia held back from spitting out a derisive comment about her nephew and instead offered up, "Oh yes. You know how boys are. If you don't keep them busy they get into all sorts of trouble."

"I notice Dudley isn't working outside today," Arabella stated with a hint of contempt.

"Oh well Dudley is such a popular fellow. His calendar is filled with tea's and engagements of sorts," Petunia proudly stated.

Arabella held back a snort but she heard Harry snort behind her.

Petunia shot her nephew a warning glare before fixing her face into a smile once again. "It's so nice to see you Arabella but I really have to run. Maybe we could get together for supper soon?" Petunia said knowing she would never follow through. She wasn't prepared for Mrs. Figg's reply.

"That sounds wonderful dear. How does Friday look for you?" Arabella was taking great enjoyment over the look of panic that crossed Petunia's pinched face.

"Oh well we have plans for Friday, but some other time then," Petunia quickly replied and started backing a way from the window.

"Then Sunday it is," Arabella said and began to walk away.

Petunia rushed back to the window and tried to come up with another excuse. She didn't think of one fast enough as she watched Figg hurrying away. Bloody hell, now they were stuck with an unwanted dinner guest! It was all the boy's fault.

Now here it was, one week later and the supper was in just a few minutes. Harry's heart raced as he knew this might be the only chance he had to let Dumbledore know he needed help. At this point he knew he had to get help, he didn't have a choice as he could tell his ribs were broken. There was no way he could perform all his chores feeling like this for the rest of the summer.

Humiliation washed over him at the thought of Madame Pomfrey seeing him in this condition. And what of the rest of the Order members? He would have to beg Dumbledore not to tell anyone about his recent circumstances. What if Snape was still at the school? The greasy git would find out and use it against him once school began. Snape wouldn't hesitate to tell the whole school about his punishments. Bloody hell, how did he get himself into these messes?

The beatings had been well deserved though. He knew that it was all his fault that Sirius had died and mostly his fault that Cedric died and definitely his fault that his parents had died. So, even though it was Vernon dealing out the punishments he knew he deserved to be treated that way.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a heavy slap to the side of his head. Dudley raised his hand again but this time Harry stepped out of the way, causing Dudley to smash his hand on the refrigerator.

"Owww, Daaad, Harry made me hurt my hand!" Dudley cried with a smirk towards Harry.

Harry didn't even try to defend himself. At this pointhe knew he would just be asking for further punishment. Instead he stepped back as far as he could into the corner when his Uncle came lumbering at himin the kitchen.

"That's it boy! You're just askin for another lesson aren't you?" Vernon screamed into his nephew's face, spittle hitting Harry in the face.

Petunia quickly came running, "Now Vernon, you can punish him later. Figg should be here any minute."

Vernon lowered his heavy fist and grumbled as he was escorted out of the kitchen by his wife. Dudley stayed where he was, taunting Harry every chance he had.

"Dad's gonna give you the beating you deserve when old lady Figg leaves."

Harry ignored the overweight bully and continued cooking the chicken. He knew what was waiting for him, there were no doubts he would be beaten again. He hated to admit that he was actually scared. Vernon had been hitting him harder and losing that slim sense of reality when he was in the throes of his lessons, as he like to call them.

Harry finished cooking just as the doorbell rang and Petunia called the boys to the table. Since Mrs. Figg would be dining with them Harry would be allowed to sit at the table and actually eat. He was looking forward to a real meal, it would be his first since leaving Hogwarts.

As soon as Arabella took one look at Harry she gasped in horror. The boy looked so much worse than last week with half hidden bruises and sallow cheeks.

"When's the last time you ate, son?" Arabella asked the thin teen.

Harry's eyes darted to his Uncle and he saw the look of fury on the over stuffed swine. "Erm, I've been a little under the weather this week, Mrs. Figg," Harry quickly responded.

"Well for heavens sake, you need to eat boy!" Arabella said and escorted Harry to the set table. She watched as the boy hesitated serving himself.

Harry waited until everyone else took their portion before taking his own small bit. Arabella grabbed his plate and heaped more chicken and potatoes on it.

The conversation was stilted and hardly more than a few words every now and then. It was obvious their guest was not her normal friendly self, causing the Dursley's to become more inhospitable than ever.

As soon as supper ended Petunia made an excuse that she had to rise early in the morning and escorted Mrs. Figg to the door. Harry panicked at the thought of his chance for help slipping away before his eyes. But then again, he did have Hedwig to consider. If Dumbledore saved him now he knew Hedwig would die. No! He couldn't be responsible for another friend dying. No!

Arabella wanted to grab the boy and take him with her but knew that wouldn't go over well. She couldn't wait to get out of there and contact Hogwarts. This boy looked like he was barely able to stand and worse off than ever before.

When the door to number fourshut, all eyes turned to the thin teen. Harry felt his heart race and leaned up against the wall for support.

"Upstairs. Now!" Vernon hissed.

Petunia glared at her nephew as he walked past her. Dudley punched him on the side of the head with a snicker. Harry slowly made his way up the stairs, hardly able to stomach the thought of being punished once again. The food he ate sat in his stomach like a rock, making him feel nauseous and dizzy all at once.

As soon as the door closed he was in the living hell that was his life. Vernon pushed him up against the wall and the lesson began.

Sometime during the lesson the fragile cord that was otherwise known as reality had snapped. Harry became obsessed with the fact that he deserved everything he got. Every time the belt fell upon his bony back he felt as if he were being punished for all the wrong he had caused, all the deaths he had caused. His mind was no longer in reality.

When the vicious beating ended, it was followed up by an episode that permanently broke the boy who lived. The incident was so heinous, so demeaning that Harry would forever be wounded from it. Vernon had grabbed his hand and forced it open. He took the cigarette he had been smoking and ground it out in the palm of Harry's hand, ignoring the boy's pleas to stop.

Harry's mind snapped past the already fragile state it was in and he lost his sense of reality, right before he passed out.

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	3. Chapter 3 Dreams From Lily

Chapter 3 Dreams

Severus was disgusted that his holiday had to be interrupted by of all people; Harry Potter. Potter had been plaguing his mind since the mutt had passed on through the veil. He had been having odd dreams filled with Lily's accusing eyes. The thought of Lily made him even more irritated.

Yes, they had been friends and yes she had defended him against her husband and his gang in their past, but why would she be haunting his dreams? The blood promise made to protect her son had been done to save his own skin when he was caught being a Death Eater. Dumbledore had forced the blood oath out of him in exchange for a ticket out of Azkaban. Now, ever since Black died at the ministry, his nights had been occupied with guilt. Severus knew he had played a part in Black's death, taunting him for being so useless but why should that make him feel so guilty? Especially when he had so much more to be guilty for. He thought once again of those odd dreams; dreams filled with caring for Harry Potter! He just knew those dreams were coming from Lily, where else would they be coming from?

Thoughts of his own horrific father had also began to resurface, sending him deeper into weighty thoughts regarding the life he had led. He had concluded that his life was no better than Voldemort's. Could he ever atone for his past at this stage in his life? Would it even do any good in the end? And then those dreams with Lily's accusing eyes, emerald green beautiful eyes. Other dreams of a desperate teen needing his help and worse; him _wanting_ to help.

Blasted Potter family! Severus took his time finishing up the potion he had been working on before walking to the apparition point. Hadn't that boy done enough damage during the school year? Now what was he up to, probably crying over not getting his way. Snape couldn't stomach the thought of having to go to Potter's home. It was bad enough he had to endure the boy's presence during the school year. He knew Potter had been emotionally unstable when they sent him home for the summer but thought after being pampered for the summer he would be back to his old obnoxious ways again.

After arriving to Privet Dr. Snape pulled his wand out and cast an invisibility charm on himself. He found number four and thought it looked very "Muggle." No imagination, all the houses looked the same. Snape slowly turned the knob and the door opened with a slight creak. He could not believe that after all the security the Order was giving Potter, the Dursley's would just leave the door open for anyone to enter. Obviously Potter's relatives were just as dim-witted as the boy was.

Two of the overstuffed Dursley's were gathered around the television, too involved to hear the door open. Then Snape noticed the under nourished Aunt cleaning up the dishes and mumbling something about expense and dinner.

Snape sneered at the scene imaging Potter being pampered like a prince. He looked around for signs of the boy, noticing several dozen pictures of the large boy but not one of Potter. Curious, that. He took out his wand and whispered, "Point me ... Harry Potter."

The wand pointed to the staircase and Snape quietly made his way up.

The Dursley's were too interested in the inane show on the telly to hear the locks on Harry's door click open. Odd how the locks were on the outside, not the inside. Snape felt something akin to dread and knew all was not right even before opening the door. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. The smell struck Snape first as he opened the door; sweat, blood, sickness... fear. The same smell as at the Death Eater's meetings.

"Lumos" he said quietly. _Oh Merlin! That couldn't be him._ A curled up figure on the ground moaned softly. Just a few muffled sounds, barely enough to be heard by the potions teacher. That was enough to get Snape in high gear. He quickly swooped down on the boy and began to turn him over. At the first touch the boy began to shake and curl up tighter trying to work his way under the pathetic bed.

"S-sorry," came a small panicked voice. The boy pushed Snape's hands away and worked his way further under the bed.

"Potter, get hold of yourself!" said the teacher in a stern voice then suddenly remembered he was still invisible and took the charm off.

Harry was shaking and had covered his face with his good arm, waiting for the blow. His mind no longer cognizant of the real world, only the bubble of pain that was his existence. Hands reached for him pulling his arm away from his face.

"Oh Merlin," Snape could not believe this was the same boy.

Harry slowly opened his eye's and saw his potions teacher, "P-professor?"

"Yes Potter. Once again, it seems you need assistance," the hard edge to his voice was gone as he viewed the massive damage done to the boy.

"I-I fell," Harry said in a raspy voice thinking that he would protect his owl at all costs.

"Hmm, there is no need for false accounts. I would suggest we acquire the skills of Madame Pomfrey immediately."

As the boy painfully uncurled his body Snape saw his condition and deduced that he would need to be carried. He pulled his wand out, casting an invisibility charm on both of them. Then he carefully put his arm behind the boy's shoulder and the other arm under his legs. All thoughts of hatred for the boy had diminished. No matter how much he hated to admit it; this teen was the savior of the wizarding world.

As Snape began to rise, Harry let out a scream of agony but quickly bit his lip to stop himself from making anymore noise. The potions teacher readjusted Potter so his face was pressed against his chest, just in case Potter could not hold back his screams. He was shocked at how little the boy weighed. His anger at the Muggles grew.

Snape tried not to look down at Harry's face as he began to descend the staircase. He didn't want to see the boy biting his lip to hold back screams, it was rather disconcerting. Potter clearly had a broken arm by the way it was dangling in an odd way. As the boy leaned into the him, Snape could feel the fever emanating from the broken boy. He chanced a look down into Potter's red rimmed eyes. _Just like Lily's eyes_. He felt his heart twist for what became of Lily's boy. Did anyone know it was this bad for the boy? He had always assumed that Potter was the center of attention and fawned over like a prince. But this was clearly not the case from the looks of that room and the locks on the door. He ignored that stab of guilt he had as he realized that Potter was not the fawned over prince he had once thought. Someone should have known.

_Just get the boy out, try not to think too much. Try not to kill the bastards watching television while the hero of the wizarding world is dying upstairs. Don't look, it will slow you down and the boy needs help now!_

Quietly Snape made his way outside then began to run to the apparition point. He took the invisibility charm off both of them and disapparated as close to the school as possible. Disapparating had been hard on the boy. Potter was barely able to hold it together. They appeared at the gates of the school, still a long way left to get to help.

Snape held the boy as best he could without further injuring him. He noticed Potter gripping onto his robes, never complaining, not even when he stumbled and accidentally grasped onto the boy's broken arm. His attitude towards the boy had shifted to one of deference.

The walk up to the school took entirely too long for the Potion Master's liking. He could feel the fever rolling off the boy in waves, and the boy's teeth were actually chattering in the cool of the night.

"How long have you had that fever Potter?"

Harry was having trouble keeping from passing out. The pain was close to unbearable but he did his best to answer, "Few days, sir."

"Regrettable. Have your relatives always treated you with such disrespect?" Snape was more curious than ever to find out the truth of this boy's life.

"They hate me," Harry stated before realizing that was more information than he wanted to give. He hurt so badly he wanted to cry. He held back as best he could until a half strangled sob escaped his lips.

Snape heard the sob and stopped walking to look down at the shivering boy. The night air was rather chilly, especially for someone in the weak state that Potter was in. He balanced the boy carefully while he unclasped his own cloak. With one smooth movement he flung the cloak over the injured boy, then held him close once more.

Harry could smell the mint and herbs in the warm cloak. He couldn't believe that Snape could be so … thoughtful. His ribs throbbed with every step the potion master took, it took everything he had to hold back from screaming out in agony.

Snape could tell that Potter was holding back, most likely due to not wanting to cry in front of him. What to do? Comforting hurt children was not really one of his fortes'. Nevertheless he did feel regretful the boy was suffering so. Those dreams of caring for Potter flashed through his mind and he pushed them out.

"Potter, you need not hide your pain from me," Snape admonished benignly. "Rest assured I will not exploit your pain to others."

Harry looked up at the Potion Master, searching his face for sincerity. The man seemed to be genuinely concerned for him. It was so odd to feel comforted by Snape but he realized he did. Just that small amount of compassion seemed to break his last vestige of reserve. Before he knew it was happening he pressed his face into the Potion Master's robes and let himself shed silent tears. He tried to hold back, stop himself with big gulps of air.

Snape wasn't quite prepared for the effect his words would have on the boy. He held onto the boy tighter and once again continued up to the school. He had no idea how to comfort the boy so he didn't even try. He felt Potter's tears soak through his own shirt. Without thinking he quietly whispered, "Shh, everything will work out in the end."

Harry wished those words were true and held onto them with a glimmer of hope.

Once at Hogwarts, Snape yelled for Poppy and Dumbledore as he made his way into the infirmary. He slowly bent down to set Potter on the bed and noticed the boy holding back any sounds of pain once again. He looked down at the boy clutching his robes and saw green eyes staring back at him with a pleading look.

"What, what is it Potter?" asked the Potion Master.

"I have to go back," came a quiet whisper.

"What are you talking about? You can't go back there," Snape said with disdain over the thought of Potter living like an animal.

"If I don't go back they'll kill Hedwig," the boy croaked softly still clutching the Professor's robes. "Please take me back."

"Potter, let Madame Pomfrey heal you, we will talk later," Snape didn't know why he said that but wanted to give the boy a little hope.

"But, but don't go ... please," The words tumbled out of Harry's mouth before he had time think. Snape was his link to Hedwig. Mixed amongst his myriad of nightmares, he had been having dreams of his Professor taking care of him like a parent would. Were they prophetic dreams or was he just so pathetically desperate for someone to care?

Poppy was getting impatient and pulled Harry down to the bed from the other side.

Snape looked down and saw Potter's green eyes looking at him, begging him to stay. The boy reached his hand towards the Professor. Snape looked down at that hand and felt uneasy, not knowing what he was supposed to do. A memory of another child reaching up for comfort quickly flashed in his mind. Snape couldn't help himself, he stretched his own hand out and held Harry's bruised, battered hand. Guilt, atonement, Lily, those disquieting dreams.

Snape could see how Potter let himself relax then. The boy closed his eyes and looked almost relieved.

Madame Pomfrey slowly peeled off Harry's clothes revealing a horror of wounds. Snape wanted to look away but ended up looking down at Harry's hand, trying not to let his eyes view the battered body. Something caught Snape's attention . He felt a small bump under his fingers on the inside of Potter's hand. Slowly he uncurled the boy's hand off his own and saw with horror the cigarette burn. A small round blister that was no bigger than a fly. For some reason Snape couldn't peel his eyes away from that mark. The pain this boy must have suffered, the pain he must have suffered at the hands of his own family. To actually hold a child's hand out and slowly push a hot flame onto his soft skin. A flash of a forgotten childhood memory came into his thoughts again, and then it was gone. _This boy must have been raised much like myself._

The boy tried to twist his hand around so he would once again be holding Snape's hand. Somehow the burn made Snape want to kill the one who did this. It was like a switch was clicked on and anger was being held in place by the tiniest thread. He could feel the anger pulsing in him like when he was a Death Eater in his early years. His face must have shown it because when he looked into Potter's eyes he saw fear. Fear of him. The child slowly released his hand and turned his face away. Once again curling up into himself and shutting the world out.

Snape couldn't move. He felt like a piece of him had died. More than anything else in this world he wished that that hand, that beaten hand with the cigarette burn on the inside, would reach for his hand again. He felt as if someone had physically punched him in the heart. Atonement slipping away.

Harry was scared not just of the professor's anger but also at being so alone. He had been scared before but this was different. He didn't want to sleep, for fear he would wake up back on Privet Drive and find Hedwig dead but he didn't want to be here, so alone. When Snape had saved him he somehow felt a deep connection with him, as if he alone would understand. Now he was just alone. Thoughts of saving Hedwig crowding his mind.

Madame Pomfrey worked quickly with the help of Albus. She gave Harry numerous potions for replenishing blood, cuts, bruises and broken bones. The fever on the other hand would not cooperate. As hard as she tried that nasty fever would not come down. Finally at her wits end she asked for Severus to come up with a new potion for Harry.

Snape went right to work in his dungeon and worked tirelessly for hours.

Harry just lay on the bed looking up at the ceiling as all these people worked on him. He knew he was the reason Snape was angry. And really deep down, he knew he deserved to be punished like this too. He had killed a man, Sirius, and Cedric too, sort of. What did he expect out of life?

Madame Pomfrey made him drink a dreamless sleep potion, then left him in the giant infirmary alone. Sleep came too slowly for Harry. He had too much time to think. He could feel the walls closing in on him and wished he felt safe again, like when Snape held him._ No! That can't be right - Snape hated him and he hated Snape._

Then the memory of those odd dreams came back in a rush. Dreams with his mum and Snape laughing. She was trying to convey a message; to trust Snape. Harry had rejected the idea from the first dream, rejected the idea that Snape could be a mentor to him. Now, he wasn't so sure. Why did he feel as if Snape could be someone other than the greasy git who ridiculed him at every turn?

But, truth be told he knew that Snape wouldn't let anyone hurt him. He just knew he was safe with Snape and that overrode any ugly feelings he had towards the potions professor by far. He was confused and thought maybe he should just forget about expecting the Professor to help him.

Just as he was thinking these thoughts Snape quietly entered the room and strode over to Harry's bed.

Harry didn't see him coming until the Potion Master was almost upon him. He pushed himself into his pillows and covered his head with his good arm when the dark shadow suddenly approached his bed . Reality a shaky thing of the past.

'Merlin, what have they done to the poor child?' thought Severus. He had always had bad feeling towards Potter, thinking him too much like James. But now he didn't see even the slightest resemblance in his mannerisms. He knew that the contrast in their upbringings was too great to produce a carbon copy of James. He slowed his movements and gently pulled Harry's arm away from his face.

"It is just me. I made this potion for you, to take away that dreaded fever," Snape saw the boy's face become calmer and reality take hold once more.

"Erm, you didn't have to, you know. I-I'm sorry you had to waste your time sir," Harry said in a near whisper. "Thank you for coming to get me. I know it's your holiday and all and I don't want you to waste anymore time with me. I'll figure out how to save Hedwig on my own."

Snape felt a twinge in his chest, this boy was sincere, he could see it in his eyes. He looked down on that battered face, with one black eye and a lip that continued to threaten to break open and start bleeding again. _Why couldn't I see this before? Why didn't someone know he was being raised with such abuse?_

"I thought Pomfrey was fixing those bruises Potter?"

"Well, she tried, she really did but I guess my body stopped reacting to the creams and stuff. She said it was because my body had absorbed all it could take with my back and legs and all. Even the dreamless sleep potion isn't working," Harry slowly turned his head away from the potions master, not expecting any help.

"Well, no matter Potter, we can try again tomorrow," said Snape quietly. When Harry would no longer look at him Snape slowly put his hand on the boy's arm. Potter looked back again with an odd look on his face. _What was that... hope_?

"Here Potter take this for your fever. I'm not sure it will work any better then the last but its worth a try."

Harry let Snape hold the bottle to his mouth and tilt the potion in.

Snape stood there waiting for the fever to come down. Twenty minutes later, Potter was still wide awake and very feverish. Snape decided to stay with him, maybe just till the boy fell asleep.

Snape pulled his wand out and pointed to the chair across the room. The chair came flying over Harry and landed softly next to the bed. The Professor sat down on it and waited for sleep to take hold and the fever to leave.

Harry felt much more at ease now that the Professor was going to stay with him and let himself fall into a much needed sleep.

Snape couldn't sleep, his memories had come flooding back. When he had reached for Potter's hand he was thinking of himself as a child and the time he had reached for his father's hand, only to be turned away. This was Snape's moment of atonement for all the bad things he had become. This was a chance to change and become a different person than his own father had been. Snape decided he would do what he could to help Potter heal from the severe abuse he had suffered at the hands of people who were supposed to care.

If Potter would let him, then Snape was prepared to help. His heart actually felt a little lighter as he laid his head back on the chair finally letting sleep take hold.

The next morning Harry awoke covered in sweat and feeling as if he were in the desert. His head was pounding and his bones ached from inside out. His ribs hurt so bad he couldn't hold in his cries any longer. He felt like he was going to throw up. He quickly looked around and saw the potions teacher asleep in the chair next to him.

"Sir," he croaked, "Professor?"

The teacher sat up quickly looking around, as if to figure where he was. He quickly looked at Potter and put a hand to the boy's forehead. Harry reared back at the sudden movement, closing his eyes, ready for the blow. The professor slowed his movement down and gently placed his hand against Potter's head. Merlin, the fever was worse.

"Erm, I think I'm going to be sick." was the only warning Snape had.

Harry violently threw up the little that was in him, all over his covers. His ribs were on fire and he threw up again from the pain. The professor quickly used a charm to clean up the mess and then placed a hand on the back of the boy's head as Harry bit his lower lip to hold back his cries of pain.

"It hurts, please ... it really hurts."

"What, what hurts Potter?" Snape said a little too forcefully in his zest to help.

Harry eyed the professor circumspectly and said "It's my head and I feel like my ribs are on fire."

What the hell was going on, thought Snape. All these things should be on the mend, not worse today.

Just then Poppy came into the room ready to see her patient almost healed .

"Where have you been Pomfrey?" Snape accused her angrily, stepping away from the boy.

"Don't use that tone of voice with me young man! Potter doesn't need a round the clock nursemaid!" With that she turned her attention to Harry and stopped in shock.

"What the blazes is going on. You look worse today than yesterday." She quickly took an assessment and wrote several things down in her chart.

"Severus, did you get the potion made last night?" she asked accusingly.

"Yes, Pomfrey I did and** it** didn't do a damn thing for this child."

"We need to send him to St. Mungo's hospital. I am at a loss and we can't be wasting time. I'll call them and let them know who is coming. I'll let Dumbledore know too," with that she rushed out of the room.

Harry just sat there shocked. He wasn't about to let them take him anywhere. The last place he wanted to go was a hospital with people staring at him and poking and prodding him. No way was that going to happen.

"No I'm not going," he stated despairingly.

A voice from the doorway quietly informed, "I'm afraid so Mr. Potter. It is what is best for you." Harry and Snape noticed the Headmaster standing at the door for the first time.

Madame Pomfrey rushed back into the room quite disturbed, "Professor Dumbledore we have a problem. St. Mungo's will not admit Harry into their care without his guardian's approval. They are adamant about that."

"Well then we will have to assign Mr. Potter's custody to another. It has to be done anyway. He will not be returning to the Dursleys."

Harry's heart sunk at that thought, knowing he** had** to return. Hedwig's life depended on it.

"How about Remus?" said Harry from his bed, knowing he would get Remus to help him, "He would take me in. He told me so."

"I wish we could do that Harry but there are laws forbidding werewolves from having custody of wizarding children," Dumbledore apologetically stated.

"We have no time for this," said Poppy in a near panic over the site of Potter's current temperature. "Harry must be admitted now, right now!"

"I will call the Weasley's and see if they might take Mr. Potter," said Dumbledore.

"Sir, will they be in danger if they take me?" whispered Harry. _I don't want anyone else to die for me._

"Well, I'm afraid so, but we will have several Aurors to watch out for all of you." said Dumbledore.

"Sir ... I don't want to go there. I can't do that to Ron's family. Please don't ask them to."

There was a long pause before ...

"I'll take him."

Everyone looked at Professor Snape.

"I want to," he said quietly. He couldn't believe he was saying that but it felt right. He just knew this boy needed him in the worst way. And truth be told, he liked that.

Somehow it seemed right.

Harry looked wary from the bed and then he passed out.

Dumbledore used the floo to set the temporary custody in motion. Using all his connections to get an order against the Dursley's and get Snape the legal document that would make Harry his temporarily. In no more than 20 minutes Snape had the document in his hand and they were preparing Harry for the journey.

Thankfully he never awoke during the trip. When they entered the hospital they were immediately escorted to a private wing with a private room. They were guaranteed no one would know "The Boy Who Lived" had checked in with serious injuries inflicted by a Muggle. Harry's temperature continued to rise to an alarming rate.

Snape knew his job was to protect this boy and there was nothing he could do for him at this point but watch the boy struggle to live.

Harry never woke up. He thrashed around in the bed crying out in pain as his broken arm was further damaged. They finally came to the conclusion that he would have to be restrained. The small nurse watching over Harry pulled her wand out and magical wrist bands and leg bands appeared attached to the bed. They snaked around an unconscious Harry, holding him down.

For three long, terrifying days he fought against the bands holding him, the fever raging on. All the while he continued to re-live the same nightmare as if in continuous loop. Cedric dying, Sirius falling, Vernon burning his hand and then beating him, again and again.

Snape didn't know what to do for him. He stayed at his bedside. He laid cool towels on his forehead and nothing helped. He had never felt so powerless in all his life. He finally decided he would try to enter Potter's subconscious mind and help him wake up. He stood before the boy and held his wand to the boy's head saying "legilimens!"

Snape found himself in the small bedroom with Harry lying on the floor and Dursley beating him with a belt. The scene turned the professor's stomach in a knot, bringing back his own long forgotten memories.

Then suddenly, Snape could see Harry watching the deaths of Diggory and Black and then once again see Harry getting the tar beaten out of him by his uncle. But the worst part came when Dursley slowly pushed that cigarette into his hand with a look of glee in his eyes, his face so close you could see the spittle in the corners of his mouth. Snape needed to help right now. He walked over to Harry, in the dream, and knelt down next to him while Dursley pushed the cigarette down.

"Potter! Harry can you hear me?"

Harry stopped and looked around, spotting Snape.

"Wh- what are you doing here. Get out before he sees you. He'll hurt you too," he said in a rush.

"No Harry, this has already happened, you need to let it go. None of this is your fault."

Harry looked down into his burned hand. "But it is my fault. I really do deserve this. You know I'm not worth you getting hurt. You need to go. My Uncle is not through yet." Harry quickly tried to keep certain memories hidden from the professor.

"No Potter, I won't go unless you come too. "

"But I'm being punished for killing my godfather ... and Cedric."

"YOU DID NOT KILL ANYONE! YOU DO NOT DESERVE THIS!" Severus insisted, "COME NOW, COME BACK! THAT IS AN ORDER!"

Maybe it was because of the way Snape spoke or maybe it was just time but Harry let all the memories tumble away. Uncle Vernon was coming to kick his arm, he had his foot raised when Harry pushed himself back into the living, Snape followed with great relief.

It took Harry several more days to come around. He fought against the restraints harder then ever. He begged Severus to have them removed but it was decided that until his fever was normal he would have to stay in the restraints.

Harry was so angry. How could these people take control of his life after all he had suffered alone. He felt so betrayed and hurt by all the adults in his life. He was ashamed of all that he had allowed to happen to him. How could he have fallen for Voldemort's tricks and caused Sirius' death? How could he have let Vernon get away with all that he had done to him?

Harry saw Snape standing next to the bed as if he were actually concerned about him. He couldn't allow himself to fall for Snape's tricks. He knew he was alone in this world now and would just have to get used to that fact or risk getting hurt again. No, he wouldn't allow himself to get hurt by another adult.

"I don't need you hanging around anymore Snape," Harry growled out.

"Watch what you say Potter," Snape growled back as he slipped into his old role as most hated teacher. He quickly pushed down his anger at the boy's insolence and reminded himself that Potter was used to adults not being there for him.

Harry turned his face away from the professor and stared at the wall. A full five minutes passed before Snape finally spoke up.

"Mr. Potter, enough of this childish behavior," Snape said in stern voice.

"Just leave me alone Snape! I don't need you pretending to care! You are nothing to me," Harry screamed, his head pounding with pain.

Snape was disappointed by the boy's lack of trust but did not blame him in the least. He would not let himself be pushed away from a child who clearly needed someone to care._ I will not quit on this boy!_

"Potter?" the potions teacher said with in a much quieter voice, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Harry began to fight against the restraints again, smashing his head against metal bars on the sides of the bed. Snape rushed to the bed and held Harry's head steady in his arms. Harry fought with every last ounce of energy he had. Finally he exhausted himself and just stopped. Snape continued to hold his head though. Soon Severus felt something wet on his arm and looked down to see Harry crying silent tears of frustration.

Snape released the bands and let Harry let cry.

Harry hadn't really ever been allowed to cry while at the Dursley's. He had never really had anyone stay with him while he let the memories come flooding back. He brought his hand up to cover his face in shame as big gulps of pain escaped his mouth and tears poured down his face.

Severus sensed the need for comfort in the boy and forced himself to do the unthinkable. He tentatively placed his arm around Harry's shoulder. It was an odd sensation to be offering support to anybody, let alone to Harry Potter. He never imagined he would feel so protective of the boy. He knew it was due to those dreams he had been plagued with since Black's death. Lily had filled him with a magic that he had never felt before. The feeling tugged at his hardened heart forcing it to soften enough to have compassion.

It shocked the Potion Master when Harry leaned his head into his chest and let the sorrow overtake him. Severus circled the boy with both his arms letting the boy know he was there. They sat there on the bed like that until Harry felt drained and fell asleep with his head leaning against the professor.

XXXXXXXX


	4. Chapter 4 Cookies & Vampires

-1Harry opened his eyes to find the professor asleep on a chair next to the hospital bed. He remembered how he had acted last night and felt his face heat up with shame. He had never let anyone see his pain before and wasn't sure how the professor would react to the embarrassing outburst he had in front of him.

He thought about his dreams from last night and knew they were coming from his mum. He had the distinct feeling that she was trying to tell him to trust Snape. He didn't know if he would ever be able to look that man in the face again after last night though. Why had he done it, why had he let himself cry in front of Snape?

Now the professor had the power to crush him at any moment. All it would take would be a simple word referring to that embarrassing moment. He gripped onto the blanket until his knuckles turned white as shame washed through him once again.

He was startled out of his thoughts when Snape spoke up.

"Potter, are you in pain?" Severus noticed the way the boy was clutching the covers and assumed he was suffering.

Harry shook his head before looking down at his hands. He rubbed a thumb along the small burn mark in his hand and remembered Uncle Vernon's punishment.

Snape raised his hand to check the boy for fever when the traumatized teen reared back as if he would strike him.

"Potter, I am not here to hurt you. Calm down and get a grip boy. Stop looking at me as if I was _the Dark Lord_."

Harry looked away again, totally ashamed of his behavior.

"Potter look at me when I'm speaking to you. You've no reason to be ashamed of the predicament you are in."

"You don't have to stay with me all the time anymore, you know," Harry said in a near whisper, "I understand if you want to leave. Its pretty depressing around here and I know I'm a pain in the ass."

Snape grabbed Harry's chin firmly and turned his face so they were eye to eye. The boy looked uneasy and Snape loosened his grip a little. Gone was the cocky Gryffindor and in his place a child so deeply damaged by events not of his own making.

"I am here of my own volition. Furthermore, I expect you to abide by the instructions I allocate."

"Yes sir," Harry whispered and tried to pull away. Snape tightened his grip again and looked the boy in the eyes. He needed Potter to understand.

"Mr. Potter, you are not at fault for anyone's death. You are a fifteen year old boy and have been living under circumstances that a full grown man would not be able to take. We need to get you away from all this and let you heal, both mentally and physically. Do you understand?"

Snape thought of Snape Manor and the rolling hills surrounding it. Even though he had not been back there for several years, he felt it would be a quiet place for the boy to recover.

Harry didn't respond. He already felt guilty enough for taking up so much of the professor's time. Why was the professor here anyway? The man was almost acting as if he cared, but that couldn't be true. That dream with his mum in it nagged at Harry's mind. Trusting Snape wouldn't be easy, especially due to their past experiences together. But maybe his mum knew best, he had to trust somebody didn't he?

Snape let go of Harry's chin and saw the deep red mark he had made on it. He would really have to get himself under control. Too many years of harsh contact with others made him wary of touching the boy again.

Snape pulled out a worn book and asked Potter if he would like to be read to. Harry nodded as thoughts of his mum came to the forefront. A long forgotten memory of being read to as a small child flashed through his memory.

"This story is about a vampire that I once knew. The Muggles have changed the facts a bit but there are still some exceptional elements."

Harry lay his head back against the pillows and closed his tired eyes. He really did feel safe right now, and he didn't care if it was due to Snape. He would try his very hardest not do anything that would ruin this. Something had happened to Snape, he was almost human. Harry lost his train of thought as he listened to the deep silky voice of his new guardian.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Later that day Dumbledore came to visit with a lovely box of magical cookies from Dobby. Whatever flavor you were thinking of, the cookie would become.

Harry reached into the box and started thinking of peanut butter. He could smell the warm peanut butter as he brought the blue cookie to his mouth.

"Mmm these are great!" Harry said, as he slowly chewed the moist cookie. He offered some to Snape and Dumbledore but they were just enjoying watching him eat them.

"Professor, if there are any errands you wish to run I will be happy to stay with Harry?" offered the Headmaster with a hint of amusement over the Potion Master's sudden protective nature of the boy. He had been shocked when he realized that Severus had never left the boy's side during this past week, except to shower and change. He was delighted with this knew arrangement.

"Well, now that you mention it," said Snape "I did want to take a look at Snape Manor and make sure my house elves are ready for us. I want to add some spells to the house to keep the... unwanted out."

"Very good, very good, take your time Severus."

Severus stood up and looked at Harry. Harry didn't seem to mind as he was so enjoying those cookies. Snape felt a little stab of concern at leaving the hospital.

"Mr. Potter, that is the last one," Snape commanded, "I will return as soon as possible."

He reached out and placed a hand on the boy's arm then turned to leave. He caught the small smile on Dumbledore's face and scowled at him.

Harry had so many questions for the Headmaster about Hedwig and what the Aurors were doing to find her. He wanted the Order to make Uncle Vernon tell them where Hedwig was. But at this point the ministry would not allow any interaction with the Muggle family.

Dumbledore's heart was filled with such sorrow for this child. He knew how much the snowy owl meant to the boy. After this past year, he felt a strong desire to do everything he possibly could to make life easier for Harry. It was clear the boy was suffering greatly from the events of this past year.

Just then the door to the hospital room opened and in walked Minister Fudge, Percy Weasley and two men that they had never met before. Dumbledore rose from his chair to face them.

"What do we owe the honor of this visit to?" Dumbledore already had a pretty good idea it was due to Harry's custody issues.

"Hello, hello Professor Dumbledore and a good day to you Mr. Potter." The Minister said with his usual decorum. "We have come to take a statement from young Mister Potter regarding the recent events with his relatives."

The last thing Harry wanted to do was talk about the Dursleys and he knew that telling the truth would further endanger Hedwig. He looked at Percy standing next to the minister with a quill and note pad in hand. The minister was introducing Sir Henry Stanton and The Head of Child Wizarding services, Mister Arnold Ketchum to Professor Dumbledore when Percy came over to Harry's bedside.

Percy whispered, "Ron and my Mum say hi. They are really concerned about you."

"Erm, tell them I'm fine and I'll owl them as soon as I can, okay?" Harry really missed his friend but didn't want Ron to see him in this condition. He didn't even want to think about what Hermione would say.

Just then everyone turned to face Harry. Harry sank back into his pillows and wished he was anywhere else.

"So, Mr. Potter we need to hear your account of what happened at Privet Dr.. Mr. Ketchum will be in charge of this case and Sir Stanton will be helping as well. You already know Mr. Weasley, he will be keeping records for us. Let's begin on the day the alleged abuse took place." Minister Fudge took his hat off and sat in the chair Dumbledore had just rose from.

Harry was at a loss for words. He hadn't even had time to think about those awful days and he most certainly was not going to put Hedwig's life at risk. The men watched Harry closely, waiting for him to speak.

"Um, I really don't feel so good right now, do you think we could do this another day?" Harry hoped this tactic worked.

"Mr. Potter we saw the pictures of your condition and need to hear from your own mouth how this occurred," said the short, portly Mr. Ketchum. He held up a pile of pictures, the top one being the burn mark in Harry's hand. "Now Harry just relax and tell us how this came about," he continued in a warm tone.

Harry glanced at the Professor before saying, "I fell down the stairs."

The men all looked at one another and Percy stopped writing. Professor Dumbledore's expression was one of surprise and shock. Harry hated lying but hated telling about the real events even more.

"Now Mr. Potter, there is no need to make up stories to protect your family. They will still get to tell their side too. Let's begin again and think about the first time you were struck," said Mr. Ketchum.

"I-I fell down the stairs, that's all," Harry said in a soft voice. He rubbed the small blister on the inside of his hand without thinking.

Professor Dumbledore walked over to Harry's bedside and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, giving him a little squeeze. "It's okay Harry, these men are here to help."

Harry really didn't trust Dumbledore anymore after what he kept from him last school year and most especially did not think Dumbledore would let him go back to save Hedwig.

"I-I am telling the truth. I fell. My head is starting to hurt again. Could I just go to sleep?"

Percy spoke up, "Harry those bruises don't look like a fall. If you don't tell the truth you will have to go back to the Dursleys."

Dumbledore quickly interjected, "I will not have Mr. Potter spend one more day with the Dursley's. He is now in Professor Snape's care and will remain so."

Percy looked uncomfortable but looked towards the Minister for confirmation.

Minister Fudge shifted in his seat and cleared his throat before saying, "Now Harry, it's very important that you tell the truth. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir. I fell and I really don't wish to talk about it anymore." Harry turned his head towards the wall and closed his eyes. _Why can't these people just leave me alone?_

For the first time Sir Stanton spoke up, "If the boy says he fell then we really have no right to waste anymore time with this case." He picked up his briefcase and headed for the door.

The Minister quickly rose and gave Dumbledore a nod then followed Sir Stanton, with Percy and Mr. Ketchum in tow.

Harry continued to face the wall and kept his eyes closed. He could feel Professor Dumbledore's eyes watching him. Then he felt a hand rest upon his arm and give a little squeeze.

"You know Harry, if I had known what was happening I never would have left you there." Dumbledore said in a soft voice.

Harry didn't want to hear Dumbledore's pathetic attempt at an excuse. It was too late anyway. All trust in the Headmaster vanished long ago.

Suddenly the small nurse ran into the hospital room. "Excuse me Professor, the Minister wishes to speak to you. They are waiting in the lobby on the ground floor."

"Oh my," said the Headmaster, "What in heaven's name do they want now." He rolled his eyes and walked swiftly out the door.

Harry was feeling tired and couldn't get the image of his Uncle burning his hand out of his mind. His mind was a jumble of confusion.

Suddenly he heard a loud racket coming from the hall. The doors to his room swung open and a handful of reporters ran in. Cameras were flashing and people were jostling to get closer to him, all the while yelling out questions.

"So is it true, did you really get abused by your family?"

"How come you didn't hex them into oblivion?"

"Who are you staying with now?"

The questions kept coming, all the while Harry was being pulled on and yelled at to look at the cameras. Harry couldn't move, he was stunned. A hand reached out and pulled his hair so he would face in the other direction for a picture. His mind went back to the times when Uncle Vernon had pulled his hair and then the beatings would begin. He didn't know how to make them stop and panic filled him.

The small nurse ran in and began yelling for everyone to get out but no one listened. The obnoxious cameraman grabbed Harry's hair again and yanked his head around. Harry totally lost it and started pushing everyone away, shaking uncontrollably, looking for Snape. Why was he alone again, he couldn't remember. He began sweating and his head throbbed with pain.

The fever spiked with the stress Harry was under. Before the nurse could deal with it Harry lost consciousness.

The next sound came from the door as there was a blast and then a loud voice yelling, **"Get out now!"**

All eyes went to the menacing wizard and suddenly there was a rush to get out. The photographer who had pulled Harry's hair made a wide circle around Snape and looked extremely nervous.

Severus came rushing to Harry's side and a low moan escaped his mouth as he looked down at his young charge.

Harry was shaking uncontrollably. Snape placed a hand on his forehead and was shocked at how hot he was. Could this child never catch a break? Who told the reporters and why wasn't anyone watching Harry?

He looked around quickly and realized Dumbledore was no where in sight. Damn it! He thought he had left Harry in responsible hands. He was so angry at himself for leaving but even more angry at Dumbledore for leaving Harry alone.

Dumbledore came rushing into the room with an angry scowl on his face.

"They want to send him back!" the Headmaster yelled at Severus.

"What the hell are you talking about! Why weren't you here to protect Potter? Look at him!" yelled Snape.

"Are you listening to me Severus? They want him to go back to the Muggles. They think he's safer there ...then with you. They want the Wizard Child Protective Services to take over from here. Someone in the ministry is pulling strings to get him sent back Severus. Someone wants Harry dead," roared a usually composed Dumbledore.

"I-I don't believe it, they can't do that. Didn't they see the report on Potter's condition when we found him? Didn't they see the pictures?" questioned Severus.

The small nurse ran out of the room and then ran back in and yelled, "Hurry they're coming! Take him, take him out of here! I see the way you are with him," she said to Severus, " I know he will be well cared for! Go, go out the back, NOW!"

They didn't wait to be told again. Severus scooped Harry up and Dumbledore held the side door open. They ran for the staircase and out into the bright day. Within moments they apparated to Snape Manor.

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	5. Chapter 5 Taking Care Of Harry

Chapter 5 - Taking Care Of Harry

Dumbledore immediately began putting warding spells on the manor to keep away the Ministry and Death Eaters. The spells shrouded the manor like a giant bubble, keeping everyone inside safe. The manor could not be found by anyone unless Dumbledore or Snape gave them the secret password to floo in or Severus let them in from his side.

When the job was done Dumbledore apparated back to Hogwarts to try and clean up this mess with the ministry.

Snape raced Harry into the house and carefully placed him in his new bedroom. He had just finished changing all the colors to red before he had went back to the hospital. Now the room had a bedspread with a big Gryffindor on it. The drapes were a red silk and the furniture was a deep walnut.

Harry began to convulse again, sending tremors throughout his body. The fever was racing out of control. He thrashed around banging his head on the headboard with a loud thwack! As much as he didn't want to, Snape knew he had to place the restraints on Potter once more. No sooner did he pull his wand out than the restraints appeared and snaked around Harry's arms and legs. The poor boy began to moan and cry out.

"No, no more please!" Harry moaned repeatedly.

It bothered Snape to know that Potter was probably having flash backs again of his abominable uncle. Damn, he needed to get that fever down and quick. Just then the fireplace in Harry's room glowed green and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came tumbling out.

"Oh Merlin, what in heaven's name has happened?" cried Mrs. Weasley. She saw the horrible bruises on Harry's face and chest. "It must have been horrible for the poor boy."

"I just saw the Prophet Newspaper and tomorrows headlines will read "Boy Who Lived Is Dying At The Hands Of His Muggle Family!" The entire wizarding community will be screaming for blood!" emphatically stated Arthur.

Molly walked over to the bed and was moping Harry's head with a cold towel.

"He's too hot Severus," she stated.

" I know he's too hot! Nothing is helping. I'm afraid we're going to have to resort to an old Muggle trick and pack the poor boy on ice," Severus snapped at her.

Snape pulled his wand out and made Harry's bed into a large water proof tub filled with ice. Harry was bundled in his blankets yet shivered in the new frozen bed.

"Why is he tied down Severus? He's not going anywhere you know," Molly admonished as she gently loosened the tight straps on the boy's arm.

"He was hurting himself Molly," Snape said with irritation, "Far be it for me to know about a child's fever but I do know when a child is pounding his head into a bloody mess."

Just then Harry began thrashing about again, bucking against the straps and arching his back. He pulled so hard against the strap that Molly had loosened that his arm slipped out and he crashed it against the metal tub. They all heard the sickening sound of the bone snapping. Next, came a tremendous howl from the poor boy and cries that would of woken the dead.

Molly felt awful! She quickly stepped aside to let the Potion Master attend to the boy.

Severus was at Harry's side and holding the boy's broken arm cautiously. He pushed Harry's wet hair back and laid a hand on his face. The fever was too high, Severus needed help. He gently placed Harry's broken arm against the boy's chest and wished he had the ability to mend it. He wasn't going to risk this boy's use of his arm for silly pride. He threw floo powder into the fireplace and called for Poppy.

She immediately came through the fireplace and began working on Harry. She fixed his broken arm … for the second time in days. Then poured fever reducing potion into Harry's open mouth but it did nothing for the boy. She tried again to get rid of those nasty bruises on his face and chest.

"Severus let's try the potion you made him before for the fever. It just might work, now that his body isn't filled with so many other potions." said Poppy with worry lacing her words.

"We can not take that chance Poppy. It can only be given once in a seven day period or Potter could slip into a coma. The only way I could give it to him again is if we keep him awake until it brings his fever down to normal. We just don't know how long that will take," said Severus as he studied the fevered boy.

"We have no choice. If his brain continues to fry like that, there is no telling what sort of damage it will cause. We can just work in shifts keeping him from sleeping," said Poppy with authority.

Severus uncorked the vial of potion and held it up to the boy's mouth. Harry wasn't cognizant of what was happening to him. He felt the pain and fever and couldn't stomach the thought of more potions. He pressed his lips together and turned his head to the side.

"Potter, what did I say about following my directions!'" Severus growled, "I will not tolerate your disobedience!" He hated using that voice with the sick boy but could tell Potter was still quite out of it.

Harry's brain was foggy but he still understood that he was a disappointment to Snape … again, and opened his mouth and swallowed obediently.

Hours later, his head hurt so bad that he couldn't see clearly. Severus kept asking him questions and he had to really try hard to stay awake and answer. He didn't want to disobey the Potion's Professor again but he needed to sleep. Why couldn't Snape understand that?

"Potter, how does your arm feel?" asked Snape impatiently for the second time.

"Erm, hurts…I'm tired, okay?" Harry whispered._ I just need a few minutes of sleep. _

"Potter, **Harry, look at me when I'm talking to you!" **Severus was having a hell of a time keeping him awake.

"Sorry … I'm sorry," Harry croaked, his throat was so sore from screaming earlier. "M'tired."

Severus grabbed Harry by the shoulders and shook him awake.

Harry's eyes flew open in extreme fear. Just for a flash of a second he thought he was back with Uncle Vernon.

"You must stay awake Harry. This potion could be dangerous. Stop looking at me like that! I'm not going to hurt you!" Snape growled.

Molly stepped over to them and placed a hand on Severus' shoulder.

"Let me sit with him a while? You have been up for hours. Take a break." It was more of a command then a question. Snape rose from the chair and gave Harry a small smile and slowly reached out and placed his hand on his cheek. Harry shrunk back and looked away. The fear still evident in his eyes.

What is wrong with me? thought Snape. I need to get a hold of myself. That boy doesn't deserve that! His lack of control and emotions was unacceptable to him. Snape walked out of the room shaking his head, heading for his own chambers.

Two long hours later ... Harry's fever broke. He would be okay. Molly started crying and Snape heard her from his room and came running.

"What, what happened!" he screamed as he ran to Harry's side.

Harry looked up at him, smiling at Snape's messed up hair and wrinkled clothes.

Severus was so relieved to see the boy smiling he didn't even care that he was being laughed at. He took hold of the boy's good hand and held it. Harry was tense at first but slowly relaxed and wrapped his own hand around his guardian's.

Molly finally stopped crying and came over to rest her hand on Harry's back. Harry had never felt so much caring in all his life. It felt good, really safe. Maybe those dreams his mum sent him were real.

Harry was finally allowed his much needed sleep. Within mere moments he was nodding off into a peaceful sleep.

Molly took this time to fill Severus in on the meeting the ministry had with Harry earlier. Snape was angry at Dumbledore for not hearing about this sooner. He didn't really know what to make of Harry's false accounts. He thought maybe the boy was just too scared to tell the truth. The Professor knew the boy had a lot of healing to do and he planned on being there to help.

When the Weasley's were finally heading home Molly stopped and turned back to look at Severus, "You are the best person for Harry to be with. You know that don't you? Don't let them take him anywhere. I'm counting on you." With that said she stepped into the fireplace and flooed home to give an anxious Ron and Hermione an update.

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	6. Chapter 6 Wardrobe

Chapter 6 - Wardrobe

Harry felt really good after his nice big breakfast in bed. His fever was gone, his arm was healed and the sun was shining. He stood on shaky legs and slowly walked over to the window. He couldn't believe his eyes, the place was enormous and quite beautiful.

He looked down at his clothes and wondered what he was supposed to wear. He was still in hospital pajamas and didn't think they had any of his clothes with them, not that they were much anyways.

Just then Snape walked through the door and snapped out, "Who told you, you could get up Mr. Potter?"

"I- I feel pretty good … sir," Harry said feeling slightly apprehensive over being Professor Snape's house guest.

"Well we don't want a relapse so take a shower and get dressed, then we will see how you feel." Snape toned down his normal abrasive speech, knowing full well how that might affect the boy.

"Erm, I don't have any clothes here … sir," Harry looked down in embarrassment.

"Well then, it's a good thing I have a superb tailor," Snape snidely remarked.

Harry felt really stupid for saying this but he didn't want to walk around Hogwarts in creepy black suits all year. "Um, I really just need a pair of jeans and a couple of shirts sir. I have money at Gringotts and I could pay you back as soon as school starts," Harry looked up into angry brown eyes, and stepped closer to the window.

"First off Mr. Potter, you are my responsibility now so **I** will pay for everything you need. Does it look like I need your pathetic money," Snape said stretching out his arms. "Secondly, you will wear what I tell you to wear and not complain about it. And lastly I do not want to see you traipsing around Snape Manor wearing JEANS!"

Harry stood there in total humiliation. Of course he should have known he would cause embarrassment to Snape. Hadn't Uncle Dursley always told him how embarrassed they were of him.

"I-I don't want to embarrass you sir. I'm sorry," Harry stammered out as his face flushed.

Snape just realized what he had done to the boy. He really needed to control himself around Potter. The last thing he wanted to do was make Harry feel unwanted and ashamed of himself. Snape couldn't believe the drastic change in the boy. What happened to the self assured, cocky Gryffindor? This boy was stammering and stepping back and acting as if any minute Snape would turn into a Dementor.

"You do not need to be sorry all the time Mr. Potter. I will floo call my tailor immediately. Proceed into the shower and I'll have Kinsey, my elf, bring in some garments for you." With that he turned and walked out the door, robes billowing behind him.

Harry stepped out of the shower to find a soft robe and under garments on the sink. When he entered his room again he was surprised to see a short plump man with a tape measure in hand and rolls of fabric spread across his bed.

"Erm, hi. I'm Harry."

The man stood there with his mouth hanging open unable to speak a word. _Imagine, fitting Harry Potter for clothes. Wait till tell my wife, she will be beside herself._

Snape glided into the room with a sneer on his face. "Lotus! Get hold of yourself."

Lotus snapped back to attention at the sight of the professor.

Snape began giving him a list of items, " We will need two dress robes of the finest quality, three school robes, button down shirts, t-shirts, several woolen jumpers, under garments, ten pajamas, several athletic wear pants and shirts, socks, two dress shoes, two pair school shoes, two pair sneakers and three dress pants, seven complete school uniforms, and ... two pairs of jeans." He said the last while looking at Harry with a smirk.

Harry didn't know what to say … didn't have more than 2 pairs of pants in his life, let alone all the other stuff.

Lotus walked over to Harry and began measuring him. He tried to measure his waist but the robe was too bulky. "Do you mind removing the robe Mr. Potter," he asked kindly.

Harry hesitated as he knew his back and ribs were pretty ugly, even with all the potions and creams.

Snape saw the hesitation and put his hand on Harry's shoulder while slowly pulling the robe off. He felt the boy tense up when he saw the reaction of the tailor.

Lotus gave a loud gasp and looked at Snape with angry eyes. _What the bloody hell is going on around here!_

It took Snape a moment to realize Lotus thought **he **had done that to his young charge.

Harry tried to grab the robe away from Snape but the potions master threw it on the bed.

"Take your measurements Lotus and be quick about it" snarled Snape. He felt it was below him to explain Harry's injuries to the tailor.

Harry stood in humiliation and tried to think of something else. It seemed Snape was trying to take his mind off this too because he walked over to Harry's closet and pulled out a present wrapped in gold, about the size of a broom.

"Mr. Potter, here is an early birthday present from Professor Lupin. He will not be able to see you on your birthday and asked that I give this to you. I do not want you using it without my permission though. Understood?"

Harry reached for the gift and slowly opened it. Inside was the Mega Sweep 5000 Firebolt! The newest, fastest and most expensive one out. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Thank you sir," he whispered, "How do you think he managed to pay for this?" Harry couldn't stop himself from rubbing his hand along the broom, trying to take it all in. _Wait 'til Ron sees this!_ He wanted to jump on it and ride it right now.

Harry's smile made Snape feel satisfied that he had given the gift to the boy early.

"Well, I suppose Black might have had something to do with it. Perhaps Lupin was left a sum."

Harry looked up at Snape and was just about to thank him again for giving him this gift early, when his scar burst with pain. Harry fell to the ground holding his head and screaming in agony before biting his lip in silence.

Lotus jumped back, terrified of the scene before him. He could see blood running down the boy's hand and knew that no one had touched him.

Snape knelt down next to Harry, rubbing small circles on his back and telling him to breathe. Witnessing one of these attacks from Voldemort was rather nerve wracking as there was nothing you could do to help the boy. A few minutes later the pain eased and Harry slumped against the professor.

Harry was leaning on Snape trying to catch his breath and feeling like he was going to lose his breakfast. " My head ... I'm going to be sick," immediately he threw up his breakfast all over Snape's new robes. He was mortified!

Lotus was scared for the child and thought Snape might strike the boy.

Snape pulled his wand out and cleaned up the mess. He picked the boy up and saw that the Gryffindor bed was covered in bolts of fabrics, so he carried him to his own quarters. Harry felt drained and didn't protest. Snape placed him on his bed and went into the bathroom to fetch a potion to help the boy's headache.

"Here son, take this and get some sleep," Snape said in a calm voice.

'Son…' thought Harry, was this the same potions teacher who took points every chance he had? Harry took the potion and pushed his head back on his pillow.

"Could you tell me what the Dark Lord was after Potter?"

"I think Voldemort's angry about something. He feels like he lost something and he was really mad," said Harry in a whisper. He looked up at Snape and was shocked to see the fright in his eyes.

"What is it sir?"

"I believe he is mad because he lost **_you_," **whispered the Professor cryptically.

Snape sat down next to Harry and began pushing Harry's hair off his forehead. He did it without even realizing what he was doing. When he looked down at Harry's face he saw that the boy had closed his eyes and was starting to fall asleep. He grabbed a quilt off the chair and covered Harry's bruised up body. Just then he noticed the tailor at his door and strode out into hall.

"The clothes will be ready tomorrow sir."

"Not soon enough Lotus, get them here today," snapped The Potion Master.

"Yes sir." Lotus said and peeked over to where Harry was fast asleep. "For that boy, I'll be sure to do it. Will he be okay?"

"Yes, but I must ask that you not divulge anything you witnessed here today," Snape said in a threatening voice.

The tailor nodded his head and looked once more at the sleeping boy.

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Harry awoke to a room filled with clothes. He couldn't believe that someone would actually waste their time making _him_ clothes. Snape was beginning to act as if he might actually care for him. He felt sort of uncomfortable with the whole idea but the dream with his mum in it reassured him. Who would have ever known that Snape could actually be nicer than the Durselys?

He went into the bathroom and washed his face and brushed his teeth with the new toothbrush on the bed. He looked at all the clothes hanging magically in the air on hangers and chose black slacks and a blue jumper. The handsome custom made black boots were brilliant so he put those on too.

He walked down the hall, looking for the professor. The place was a mansion, literally. He would get lost in here if he didn't remember where he was. The house was decorated in such a fine manner that Harry made sure not bump into anything. He went down the stairs and heard voices coming from the big room on the left with a giant fireplace. He walked into the room and stopped in his tracts. Sitting on the sofa was none other than Mrs. Figg.

Mrs. Figg spotted him, "Oh, Harry I was so worried about you ."

Snape whipped around, "Who said you could get up! Do you want another relapse? Get over here and take a seat!"

Harry felt a spark of annoyance over being bossed around like a two year old. No one had ever cared enough to look out for his well being, it would take some getting used to.

"I'm fine sir, I actually feel pretty good."

"I'll be the judge of that," Severus countered in a cold silky voice.

Harry reluctantly made his way over to the leather chair by the fire. Snape felt Harry's forehead. When he didn't feel any sign of fever he reluctantly offered Harry a drink of pumpkin juice, instead of making Harry get back in bed.

Harry took the drink then faced Mrs. Figg, noting her house dress and worn down slippers.

"I can't believe you're here," Harry said as he saw his old babysitter looking around with awe.

"I gave Dumbledore a piece of my mind over leaving you with such horrible people! I was shocked when he told me Severus was looking after you. Out of the cauldron and into the fire, I told him. Albus finally relented and let me see with my own eyes that you were safe," Arabella said as she noticed the smirk on the Potion Master's face.

There was an uncomfortable silence after that. Snape wasn't used to house guests and didn't feel the need to fill in the void.

"You know what those newspapers are saying about you don't you?" Mrs. Figg asked as if the whole fiasco was a big secret.

"No ma'am. I haven't been allowed a paper," Harry admitted.

Arabella gave Snape a her own glare before stating, "The whole wizarding world is demanding to know how you are and exactly who did that to you."

"Enough," Severus irritably. "Potter doesn't need any other concerns plaguing his mind."

"I think we should leave that up to Harry," Arabella snapped.

"No, I think not. I am his legal guardian and I will make all decisions concerning him."

Arabella sat up straighter feeling indignant over the rebuff, "When does this guardianship end Mr. Snape?"

"That is not your concern. It may be permanent in any case," Severus haughtily replied.

Harry looked up at the Professor, this was news to him. "Permanent?"

Snape ignored the boy's inquiry, not wanting to reveal anything further in front of the squib.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Arabella protested, "I'm not going to let Harry be harmed further by an ex- Death Eater!"

"You have lost all rights and privileges to anything concerning Mr. Potter. I believe it was your job to watch out for his welfare this past summer? A fine job you did, Arabella."

That comment effectively shut down any further comments Mrs. Figg was about to make. She gathered her handbag and walked towards the fireplace. She stopped in front of Harry and gave him a soft pat on the head. "Sorry son."

Without another word she threw green floo powder into the fire and disappeared.

Harry stood up and faced the Potion Master, "Why did you have to talk to her like that!"

"Mr. Potter mind your conduct," Snape warned in an ominous voice.

"No. She did her best for me!" Harry shouted.

Something odd had been happening to Snape. Ever since the moment in the infirmary he had been feeling an evil thread of anger grip at his soul. Something was definitely wrong but at the moment he had no control.

Snape felt a gripping anger at his emotions and something dark overtook his heart. He couldn't control it as hard as he tried. He tried to push it down and take control of his anger but it spiraled out of control. It was almost magical...dark magic.

Before Harry knew what was happening Snape had grabbed his arm and threw him up against the wall, his head slamming hard.

'Don't you ever talk to me in that tone of voice again boy! Do I make myself clear?" Snape snarled out in anger. The anger was so sudden and had come from nowhere. Snape tried to push it down but could not control the mysterious wave of anger that coursed through his body.

Harry froze, this was familiar. He couldn't respond, he was so scared by the professor's reaction. Memories of Vernon and the punishments flashed through his head.

Snape grabbed Harry's hair on the back of his head. He felt so angry, so red hot angry at this boy. He couldn't get a handle on his emotions, he was a master occlumens and tried with everything he had to push these feelings down

Harry waited for the blow. He was still too frightened to speak.

"I said, do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes sir," Harry stammered out.

Snape threw him against the chair, just intending to have Harry sit in it, but Harry lost his balance and went flying into the glass coffee table. He fell with such force that the table exploded around him. Glass splinters embedded in his arms and chest. He was utterly terrified. He couldn't move.

It was happening again! Just when he thought he might actually have a person in his life that cared. He must really bring out the anger in people. Harry thought he would be safe with Professor Snape but knew he had this punishment coming. Didn't he disobey Snape and get out of bed … twice? Harry was not thinking straight, he had not only been physically damaged but most importantly emotionally damaged. In his mind he was just getting what he felt he deserved after killing his Godfather and Cedric and his parents. In his damaged self he accepted what was coming. His mind shut down as it did when Vernon was abusing him. The bubble of reality gone.

Snape raced over to Harry as the anger suddenly left him. Harry raised his arms to protect his head from the blows that must certainly be coming next. But Snape carefully picked him up off the floor and held him, with a look of horror on his face. The boy was bleeding from hundreds of tiny cuts all over the front of him. The worse one coming from his mouth.

Snape was horror struck! He was acting like a Death Eater to the boy who was going to be his son. What had happened to him just then? The anger was now completely gone. All that was left was bewilderment over how he had acted and how he couldn't control his emotions. That was just not acceptable to him.

Harry's eyes were starring off as if he was no longer there. Snape's stomach dropped and he began to panic.

"Potter, son can you hear me?" Snape began walking up the staircase with the catatonic boy in his arms.

"I-I didn't mean for that to happen, it was an accident. I'm sorry," Snape actually had meant it too. He wanted to be a father to this boy but the influence of his own father kept sneaking into his demeanor and maybe that was why he couldn't control his emotions?

He placed Harry on his bed and looked carefully at his wounds. The wounds to the boy's body were superficial but the one to his lip was deep. He took all the glass out and then put a healing potion on all the cuts. The cuts healed instantly but the only one to not heal was on his lip. Snape stayed by Harry's side all night checking on his wound. Harry just kept starring at the ceiling, until he finally drifted off to a very fitful sleep.

Snape was terrified over what he had done to the boy. He honestly hadn't any control over his anger. That had never happened to him before and he was so frightened that it might happen again. The boy hadn't said anything out of the ordinary but Snape took it as if he had said something evil. This was not right and Snape knew he had to find the cause. For Harry's sake and for his future.

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	7. Chapter 7 Severus

Chapter 7 Severus

Harry woke up feeling really confused. His head was pounding and he felt sore all over and his lip felt like it was too big. He pulled the sheets up and looked at what he was wearing. _How did I get into pajamas?_ He almost felt like a piece of time was missing for him. He thought back to the violent reaction Snape had last night.

He couldn't figure out what had set Snape off like that. He knew he had caused that reaction from Snape but didn't know how. He felt more apprehensive than ever with his new guardian.

The look in Snape's eyes was so odd. They had been glossy and distant. Why had Snape been fine one minute and then such a maniac the next? He remembered falling into the glass table and shards of tiny glass piercing his skin. Snape had looked so surprised, like he couldn't believe what had just happened. Harry remembered how sorry Snape had been. Vernon had never been sorry in the least.

Harry looked around his new bedroom and thought about how nice it was that someone actually had cared enough about him to decorate a room to his liking. Even Sirius hadn't done that for him. He was angry at the way Snape had treated him last night but kind of thought he had deserved it too. His guilt over Sirius and Cedric was still so strong.

He turned the situation around and forced his mind into thinking it was his fault.

Harry made his way into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. His lip had a big cut on it. He touched it and it started to bleed a little. The other cuts on his body had almost disappeared. He showered and got dressed in a new pair of black trousers and dark green turtle neck jumper. The jumper seemed to hide the most bruised skin. He walked downstairs to have breakfast in the kitchen with the house elves. The last thing he wanted was to run into Snape. He wandered the halls trying to find his way into the kitchens.

Severus was sitting in his study staring out the window and thinking about the way he had treated Potter yesterday.

What the blazes was wrong with him? He felt like he had been watching someone else last night and had no control over the situation. He knew it couldn't have been the Imperious curse because he had been so coherent. In the end he figured he would need to cast a spell on himself to make sure there were no curses placed on him.

He had made a personal vow to himself the night he took Potter under his care to never raise a hand to the boy. He thought back to the way his own father had beat and belittled him as a child. This fresh start with Harry was really important to him. He didn't want to end up dying with nothing to show for his life but being a spy for the Order. He wanted to make a difference to someone, and he knew the boy needed him. Beside the fact that those blasted dreams from Lily continually came to the forefront of his mind.

When he had first decided to care for the boy, it was mostly to redeem himself in his own eyes and to become someone who did not resemble his father in anyway. Now it had nothing to do with that, now he was truly getting attached to the child. The boy was far braver than he had ever known and had no arrogance to him whatsoever.

He thought back to that burn on Potter's hand and remembered when his own father had punished him in the same way. He had decided to make a better life for the boy, one that did not include torture, yet last night he could not get a handle on his anger. It had just been so odd, so powerful ...uncontrollable. The way the anger snaked through his body and pushed hard at his emotions was so foreign to him. He had felt the dark magic taking hold.

Severus remembered the look on Potter's face when he held his hand in the infirmary and look of pure happiness when he unwrapped his Firebolt. Those moments were true and they had broken through his hard outer shell and touched him. Now he had to fix this mess he had made with Potter.

He needed to show Potter that he wasn't going to hurt him or leave him and that they would work through hard times. He made the decision to _adopt _the boy and make him his son. As soon as he came to that conclusion he felt a heavy weight alleviated from his shoulders. Somehow that decision felt more right than any he had ever made before.

He knew his days of spying were over now that the newspapers had so ruthlessly spilled Potter's story across the front pages. It had become public knowledge that he had become Harry Potter's guardian with Dumbledore's blessings. Making it official was just his way of showing the boy that he was serious about being there for him. Now he just needed to get Potter to agree.

How could the boy let his guard down and trust him again? He knew he had to do something to make up for this.

Just then he spotted Potter in the hallway looking around with caution.

"Good morning Mr. Potter."

Harry stopped walking and looked back down the hall he had just come from, contemplating going back that way. He wasn't ready to talk to Snape just yet.

"Mr. Potter, I know you are angry at me. Last night I lost control. I-I'm not sure what happened to me."

Harry looked at his feet not wanting to make eye contact with the professor.

"Please come and join me for a talk," this was clearly an order not a question.

"Mr. Potter, I am speaking to you," Snape's voice brooked no room for argument.

Harry turned towards the door and slowly made his way into the walnut paneled study. He looked at Snape sitting behind the desk and held his gaze for a moment. It was hard for him to hold back the anger he felt towards his potions teacher.

Snape watched Harry walk into the study and could see the boy was struggling with his emotions.

"Sit, Mr. Potter."

Harry continued to stand but dropped his gaze down to his shoes. His hands were balled up into fists and his body was tense.

"Mr. Potter, I am not going to ask you again. There are ways _I_ can make you sit without your assistance."

Harry wanted nothing to do with those ways and sat on the edge of the camel back chair across from Snape. He looked Snape in the eyes with a glare, "Alright, what do you want?" Harry's voice was calmer than he actually felt.

Snape ignored the surly tone the teen was using, "I need to ... apologize for my behavior yesterday. I never intended for you to fall into the table," he waited before saying, "and I might have been a little harsh with you about the way you spoke to me."

Harry was stunned. _Is Snape actually apologizing to me_? He didn't know what to say nor did he feel like talking with Snape at the moment. His lip began to throb and he felt it begin to bleed again.

Do you require a pain potion for your lip ?" asked Snape in a mild tone.

Harry just shook his head and pressed his finger to his lip to stop the bleeding again. The last thing he wanted was to take another potion from Snape. Who knew what he was given last night since he couldn't remember anything.

"I'll take that to mean you are fine then." The Potion Professor watched the boy sitting stiffly in the chair, trying to stop his lip from bleeding. "Relax Mr. Potter, I will not hurt you again. I am not sure what happened to me but I can assure you that it will not happen again. Please come over here so I can take a better look at that lip. It looks like it may need a Muggle stitch, as the potions have stopped working again on you."

Harry looked up quickly at the Professor with fear in his eyes, "I'm fine sir."

"I tried to heal it last night and again at dawn but it is resisting magical healing. I assume your body has had too much in such a short period of time. Please come to me so I may look at it," Severus swiveled his chair to the side.

Harry didn't give a piss about his lip, he just wanted to leave this room. He knew all about Muggle stitches and wasn't about to let Snape near him with a needle.

"Professor, could you just leave me alone? Could I go into the kitchen for breakfast?"

Snape sat up stiffly and spoke in a quiet voice, "You will dine with me, not like a house elf. I will only ask you one more time to come here and then I will use other means to make you."

Harry glared at Snape but stood up and slowly walked over to him. He pushed his hands down into his pockets as he stood next to the chair Snape was sitting in, feeling the blood drip from his lip when he moved his finger away.

Snape gently held Harry's face in his hands and lifted his lip a little to see how deep the cut was. Harry jerked back but didn't make a sound as Snape tightened his grip. Snape saw the cut was indeed too deep and would continue to bleed without assistance.

"Mr. Potter you may not like this but I am afraid I will have to use a Muggle trick and stitch that lip closed. It should be fairly quick though."

Harry felt his stomach flip with panic. The whole idea of Snape taking a needle to him made him nauseas. He pulled away from Snape's grip and stepped back against the wall, watching the Potion Master rise and glide past him.

"Follow me into the potions lab," Snape's tone was strict but without anger or malice. He knew the boy was nervous about having stitches. Wizards normally never needed to use Muggle's archaic methods of medicine.

Harry dragged his feet and followed slowly. _Why me?_

When they had descended into the lab Snape motioned for Harry to lie down on the table.

Harry hung back and just starred at the long table Snape had covered with a white sheet. The dungeon lab had shelves of creatures in jars lining the walls and rows upon rows of cauldrons and potions in bottles. The air was so chill Harry wished he had brought his cloak.

Snape turned around and looked at him. He then walked over to Harry and grabbed his arm, forcing him onto the table.

Harry was scared, he hated to admit that he was scared over once again not having control. Snape handed him a pain killer potion but he refused to drink it.

"Mr. Potter, if you do not drink that potion you will feel the needle piercing your skin, do I make myself clear?"

Harry shook his head and said, "I'll take my chances, sir."

"Very well Mr. Potter, we will do this the difficult way then. Please lie back and put your hands down at your sides."

Harry lied back and put his hands down. As soon as his hands were at his sides Snape pulled his wand out and made magical straps hold his arms and legs and head to the table.

"What are you doing! Let me go!" Harry gasped as he struggled against the straps.

"Lie still Mr. Potter. I will give you one more chance at that pain potion."

"No Snape, I'm not taking anything that will make me forget what happens ... again!" anger rising.

"Very well." Snape pulled out a needle and threaded it with a waxy black thread. "Hold very still then."

Snape pulled up Harry's lip and slowly pushed the needle through.

Harry wanted to scream not so much from the pain but more over the feeling of being so powerless. He vowed not to cry as his emotions caught up with him mixed with the pain of the needle. His eyes betrayed him and began dripping tears.

Snape looked into the boy's eyes with an almost sad look on his face. _I did this to the boy._

Once again the needle entered the lip and Snape pulled it through. Harry let out a sob that could not be held back any longer. Snape finished up quickly, closing the wound and took the straps off.

As soon as the straps were released Harry covered his face with his hands in total shame.

"Harry, you've nothing to be ashamed of. You were very brave ... stupid and stubborn ... but very brave indeed."

Harry didn't remove his hands, he rolled on his side away from the Professor. He wasn't crying from the pain but from feeling so worn down and confused. He just wanted to be back to his old self and stop being so afraid of everything and everyone.

Snape really did feel like he needed to help this boy in some way. What was wrong with the boy? It couldn't have hurt that much. Maybe he just needed ... reassurance. Snape felt helpless, never having comforted anyone since … well since Lily. He wished more then anything that Molly Weasley was here. What would she do to help the boy? He put his hand on Harry's back and began to rub small circles. He told Harry about the time he had to get stitches as a young boy. He left out the parts involving his father though.

Harry began to settle down and relax a little. He was so tired of feeling worn down. He felt like everything just came tumbling down on him and he had no control over his life.

"Professor, do you think I could have some of that pain potion now?"

Snape raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He pulled a vial out of his robes and unstopped it. He then handed the vial to Potter and watched as he drank it.

It took a minute to take effect before Harry closed his eyes and breathed easier. 'I'm so stupid,' he thought 'Why didn't I just take the bloody potion to begin with?'

Snape watched Harry relax a little and then said, "Come on, let's go up for breakfast. You could probably use something in your stomach."

Harry sat up with his legs dangling off the table and looked down at his hands. "Thank you Professor for fixing me and ... erm, stuff. I'm sorry about talking back to you last night. I know I'm a pain to have around."

Snape didn't know what to say. Here was this child who he had caused injury and pain to and the boy was thanking _him_. If Dursley were around right now he had no doubts he would have killed him. The difference in the boy from the previous year was shocking.

Snape went and stood in front of Harry and put his hand on top of the Gryffindor's shoulder, giving a slight squeeze.

"Harry, you may call me Severus. And you are not a pain, as I've told you before. You were the answer to a change in my life that I had been wanting to make. I need to know that I can be something other then a person that everyone avoids. I want you to be ... happy here at Snape Manor."

Was this Snape talking? Harry couldn't believe those words just came out of Snape's mouth. He didn't know what to say to that. He never in a million years thought he would be having a conversation like this with Snape, of all people.

"Harry, I don't want you to leave, I want to make this permanent. I want you to become my son, legally."

Harry didn't know what to say. His heart raced over having a second chance at family.

Snape continued, "I won't do it unless you agree. But I want you to know that I am not going anywhere. You and I have always had an animosity towards each other in the past but you must understand, I thought you were like your father. I had no idea you were being raised more like myself. You see this grand house?" He raised his hand, "Well, this house was a prison for me. I hated my life as a child. I want a fresh start and to bring contentment into this Manor. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir,… I-I don't want to leave." Harry licked his cracked lip, "I feel safe with you." he whispered.

Snape's heart leapt at that. It wasn't too late, Harry had a very forgiving heart.

Harry looked up and assessed the professor's sincerity. Satisfied, he nodded his approval.

Snape looked at the forlorn boy and knew this was the right course to take.

"Shall we have breakfast and then I will show you around your new home. You know someday this will be yours? I hope you look at this home with good memories ...someday."

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	8. Chapter 8 House Guests

Chapter 8 - House Guests

Harry was tired after having such a big meal and then walking the grounds of Snape Manor. The size of the manor was astounding and the grounds alone were as big as the entire block he grew up on. Harry wished that he had time to take a nap but Snape was expecting his Great Aunt Vespa for an extended visit and wished him to meet her upon arrival.

The thought of meeting one Snape's relatives made Harry feel more nervous than he would have thought. He was instructed to change into his best shirt and tie and dress robes for lunch so he knew this meeting was important to the professor. He just didn't want to disappoint the Potions Master again after all the professor had done for him.

He started up the giant winding staircase stopping halfway up to get his breath back. He felt hot and dizzy and the room started to spin. He sat down quickly leaning his head in both hands, which only helped minimally. The thought of turning into some weakling, always sick and tired made him push himself to stand back up once again.

He didn't want Snape to think he was weak so made his way into the bathroom to wash up and change. But soon as he stepped into the bathroom he felt his stomach protest and ran to the toilet to wrench up his big breakfast. He broke out into a cold sweat feeling his stomach twist as he slowly stood up and decided another shower was in order.

After the cold shower, Harry looked at himself in the mirror wondering if Snape would see that he didn't feel so great. The last thing he needed was to be sent to bed in front of Aunt Vespa. His new robe fit him perfectly and after much coaxing and a little magic, his hair laid flat on his head. If he didn't hurry downstairs he was going to be late. The one rule Snape demanded was that he be on time for everything.

Harry made it into the living room just as the tall grandfather clock struck noon. Snape turned away from the fireplace with a look of displeasure.

"Cutting it close Potter. Do not let me catch you rushing into a room again. You must walk like a gentleman into a room, not run like a dog."

"Yes sir." said Harry, still feeling sick to his stomach.

Just as Snape was going to reprimand Harry for not standing up straight, there was a loud bang that came from the fireplace. The fire suddenly turned green and two house elves, a butler, a teenage girl and an old lady with a severe hat on, stepped out into the living room. There was much commotion as the house elves tried to carry out a large trunk.

Snape immediately walked over to the older woman and bent his head down to kiss her extended hand.

"So nice of you to visit Aunt Vespa. We are pleased you are honoring us with this visit," said Severus.

Snape had been quite surprised when an old lavender owl had delivered a letter from his Great Aunt Vespa announcing their arrival today. The last time he had seen her was eight years ago at a very strange tea she had insisted he attend. The tea was actually the worse he had ever had. There was a distinct metallic taste to it. She had insisted he finish it, insisting that it would be rude not to. She was not the most accommodating person by far but being his elder Snape had felt he should oblige.

"Yes, yes it has been a while. You look quite a bit older Severus and your hair is rather stringy, is it not? Humph."

She then turned her attention to Harry.

"You must be the famous Harry Potter? You are under fed and pale." Aunt Vespa turned her nose up at Harry and looked as if something smelled bad.

Snape walked over to Harry and placed his arm over his shoulder.

"Aunt Vespa, I would like to introduce you to my son, Harry."

Harry looked up the professor shocked over being introduced that way.

Aunt Vespa looked at Severus with a stern look on her face, "He is not your son _yet_ Severus. I'll be the judge of that!"

Harry looked at Snape and wanted to ask what Aunt Vespa meant by that, but Snape gave Harry a slight shake of the head and pulled him closer.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Harry with a slight bow.

"Yes, yes, I want you to meet my great niece from my late husband's side, Charlet. Come, come girl, don't drag your feet." she said as she grabbed Charlet by the arm.

"Pleasure to meet you Harry," she turned towards Severus and said, "Thank you for the hospitality Severus."

Harry was tongue tied by her beauty. She had raven black hair and startling blue eyes. Her slender figure and regal stance only added to her attractiveness.

Severus invited everyone to have a seat and partake in a beverage before lunch was served.

Harry was still feeling overwhelmed that Severus had introduced him as his son. The thought of having a real family made Harry look past the fact that this was the Potion Master that made his life hell while he was at school. Besides, hadn't Snape been the one to rescue him and nurse him back to health? The idea of having a real father was almost too good to be true. Besides this was much better than living with the Dursley's.

Lunch was a fancy affair without much talking from the young people at the table. Aunt Vespa seemed to have an opinion on everything she laid her eyes on in the house, none of it good. She didn't like the way Kenzi cooked the cabbage, she hated the drapes, she was appalled by the ancient carpet and complained about it being too cold in the room. More logs were added to the fireplace and Harry thought he would pass out from the heat. His head was throbbing and he knew the fever was back again.

Vespa turned her attention to Harry just as he was taking another drink of his ice water.

"Boy, why are you not eating? You need to finish what you have been served," Vespa admonished. "Severus, you must take control of him before he withers away. What kind of father are you to let him just drink water for lunch?"

Severus cleared his throat before rebuking, "Harry eat everything before you."

Harry picked up his fork and picked at his lamb a little. The smell was making him sick and he couldn't swallow the tiny piece in his mouth. He started to perspire even more and wished he could rip that dreaded tie off his neck. He pushed his food around a little and wished everyone would stop staring at him.

Snape didn't seem very pleased by his progress, "Mr. Potter, I require you to eat everything on that plate young man." _Merlin, I sound like my mother._

Harry gave him a glare, angry over being spoken to like a child. He picked up another tiny piece of lamb and pushed it into his mouth.

Charlet was watching him from across the table with a look of disdain on her face.

"Um, is it okay if I'm excused, Severus?" whispered Harry as he looked down at his plate. He just needed to lie down to make his head stop spinning.

He heard a gasp from across the table and Vespa was shaking her head.

"You see Severus, I told you he was brought up like an animal and he wouldn't be able to handle the responsibility of being a Snape!" Vespa said haughtily.

She had been referring to a little conversation they had that morning by floo. She had said she was just checking up on him, but Severus knew she wanted something else. She never checked up on him.

Snape looked over at Harry closely, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. He noticed the perspiration on his forehead and wondered if he might be ill.

"Harry do you feel ill?"

"No sir, I um... ," and trailed off not knowing what to say.

"No then Mr. Potter, you may not be excused. Finish eating and begin to mind your manners," Snape said in a clipped tone.

Harry flushed to his roots and wanted to melt into the carpet. He stabbed another piece of lamb and prayed he would make it through the lunch without losing his lunch!

"Harry are you aware of what they are saying about you in the newspaper?" asked Charlet in a syrupy tone.

"No, I'm not supposed to read the paper right now."

"Yes Charlet, the paper has many false reports on Harry," explained Severus.

"So it's not true that you were locked up and beaten?"

"I erm, I …" stammered Harry with a quick glance at Snape.

"Harry need not speak of his experiences to anyone Miss Charlet," snapped Snape.

"Oh, I'm sorry cousin, I was just trying to support him, you know," Charlet replied sweetly.

Something about Charlet didn't sit right with Harry. He couldn't put his finger on it but it seemed she took joy over his discomfort. He looked at her and noticed that smirk again. _What does she have against me,_ he thought. Suddenly she didn't look so pretty in his eyes.

Suddenly Aunt Vespa pointed to the window, "What is that ugly statue of your grandfather still doing out there? I told you to get rid of it!"

This was just the diversion Harry needed. He scooped the rest of the lamb over the side of his plate and wrapped it in his napkin, quickly stuffing the napkin in his robe.

Snape and Vespa continued to argue about the statue until lunch ended.

"I think I need a nap before the others arrive Severus," said Vespa. "Maybe you should teach that _son_ of yours some table manners before we dine again!"

With that she snapped her fingers at Charlet. Charlet rushed to her side and the old lady took hold of Charlet's arm and headed up the stairs. Charlet gave him a wide smile as she walked out of the dining room.

Snape looked at Harry as they both stood up.

"What was going on during lunch Potter?" asked Snape as he walked towards Harry.

Harry took a couple of steps back and tried to come up with something to say. He knew how angry Vernon always used to get whenever he claimed to be ill and didn't want the Potion Master to find out how he was feeling right now.

Snape walked over to him and grabbed his shoulder, "Potter I expected more from you. Look at me when I am speaking to you."

Harry tensed at Snape's touch but continued to look down at his shoes. His throat was dry and his head was swimming. He didn't know how Snape would react to his illness and didn't think he could handle another punishment right now.

"I'm sorry about the lunch. Could I go now sir," Harry asked in a tight angry voice.

Snape grabbed Harry's chin roughly forcing his head up, then he froze. Harry was burning up. He could feel the heat burn his hand as he lifted Potter's chin and saw that the boy's eyes were red and his cheeks were flush with fever. _So this is why he couldn't eat. Why didn't he tell me? What in heaven's name was wrong with the boy? Doesn't he trust me to take care of him? _

Severus was angry at himself and angry at Potter for not speaking up, "Get up to your room."

Harry didn't know what to expect and he didn't know what had set Snape off all of a sudden. He tried to keep his balance on the way upstairs but his head was throbbing making him a little off balance. Suddenly Snape grabbed his arm from behind and practically dragged him into his room.

Snape pushed Harry towards the bed and growled, "Get undressed."

Harry stood without moving as thoughts of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his Uncle replayed in his mind. His hands shook as he fumbled with his buttons.

Snape walked over to him and started loosening Harry's tie, pulling it roughly from his neck. Then he began pulling off the boy's robe, until Harry pushed his hands away.

"What the hell are you doing?" Harry asked in a panicked voice, stepping back against the bed.

Snape tried to ignore the way the boy was looking at him, "I am putting you to bed Mr. Potter. You have a fever that could set this house on fire and you failed to let me in on that little secret."

Snape was not fond of secrets being kept from him, especially when he was in charge of the boy's welfare and safety.

"Get into bed before I toss you in."

Harry fumbled with his clothes while Snape rummaged through the dresser looking for pajamas. Where the hell did all those pajamas go? When he couldn't find any he grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and threw them at Harry. "Be in bed by the time I return," Snape said in a tone that left no room to argue. He turned on his heel and headed out the door.

Harry put the clothes on and slowly climbed into bed. He felt so sick and he just needed a few minutes to think clearly. His head was swimming and every bone in his body was sore from the fever. He felt so tired he couldn't think.

Just then his stomach gave a lurch so he got up and made his way to the bathroom. He was going to vomit. Snape walked in just as he was crossing his room.

Snape totally lost it when he saw Harry out of bed and grabbed him by the front of his shirt growling out, "When I give you an order I expect you to obey!"

Snape took a deep breath and let go of Harry's shirt. That odd feeling of anger coursing through his body was back again. _Get control, don't let it control you._ Snape took a few steps back and looked at the boy before him. The boy looked horrible. Snape concentrated on Harry's eyes and pushed the anger away. It was so hard, so very hard to control. He knew there was something wrong with him, something magical, dark magic.

Snape stepped closer to Harry intending to help him to bed, just as the boy pitched forward. Without warning, Harry vomited up his entire lunch on the front of Snape's dress robes.

Oh no, Harry was totally mortified._ This is not happening again. _He looked up into Snape's face fully expecting to get hit but couldn't believe his eyes. Snape was actually ...smiling?

Harry was totally mortified.He looked up into Snape's face fully expecting to get hit but couldn't believe his eyes. Snape was actually ...smiling? 

"Harry," he smirked, "When I decided to adopt a teen, I thought I would be past getting thrown up on all the time!" With that he pulled his wand out and cleaned them both up, then gently pushed Harry into bed.

He handed Harry a fever potion and glass of water then pulled a chair next to the bed.

Harry took a few sips of water then placed the glass on his nightstand. He swallowed the contents in the vial without asking what it was but knowing that the Professor was trying to help him. It was an odd feeling to actually have someone stay with him. It made him feel good to know he was being watched over, cared for like Dursley's used to do for Dudley when he was ill.

"Professor, I'm sorry about the way I acted during lunch."

Snape shook his head but didn't look angry, "Harry, I just ask that you let me know when you are feeling ill or are hurt. It is my job to watch over you now and I take my job seriously. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir. It's just that the Dursley's used to get angry when I was sick and I didn't want to disappoint you again."

Harry watched a cloud of anger flicker across the Potion Master's face. He wondered if he should have brought up the subject of the Dursley's? Maybe he would just push those memories away, pretend like they never happened.

Severus checked his emotions, forcing himself to calm down at the mention of Potter's family. "Yes, well suffice it to say, I am not the Dursley's." Severus watched the boy's face close down, offering no emotion now. That subject would definitely need to be addressed soon.

Harry pulled his glasses off placing them on the nightstand. He pushed back into the mound of soft pillows, grateful he was here and that he had someone watching out for him.

"Thank you Professor."

Snape didn't say anything else but suddenly realized that his once hardened heart was being pulled at. He took out the book about the vampire and read to Harry until the boy nodded off to sleep.

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	9. Chapter 9 Black Magic

Chapter 9 - Black Magic

Aunt Vespa was furious! How could Severus cancel her dinner party because that disgusting brat had a fever. The nerve of her nephew. If it was up to her she would have dragged that brat downstairs after a thorough whipping and made him join them for supper. Severus was turning out to be a worse father than she had imagined he would. He was spoiling that boy rotten!

Oh yes, she had passed by Potter's bedroom door earlier and had seen Severus sitting by the bed holding that brat's hand as if he were a king. Severus had changed so much since she had last seen him and not for the better. She couldn't believe her plan was failing.

The plan that she had spent years tending to and building, all in the hopes of making her life immortal. And now the Potter boy was going to ruin everything. If Severus adopted him the inheritance from Snape Manor would be gone for good. She had worked too hard and too long to let that happen.

She thought back to Severus' father when he was a boy. Vespa had loved Severus' father as if he were her own son and had planned to leave him everything she had. When Severus had been born he had used a firm hand with the sickly child and didn't hesitate to beat him. Severus had been such a disappointment to them both. No matter how much he beat him he still didn't turn out right. When Severus' father Sebastian passed away Vespa had decided to look for another heir to her mighty fortune. Finally coming up with a plan that would benefit her greatly. But in order for her plan to work she knew she had to find a young healthy heir.

The day she met Charlet she knew she had found one. Charlet had walked into the room like such a little princess, demanding to know who interrupted her playtime. When she walked over to Vespa she actually _stuck her hand out to be kissed! _Vespa loved it, the girl reminded her of herself as a child. Vespa forcedthe girl'sparents into handing over custody of the child by discrediting them and using her "connections" in the ministry. Charlet came with a smile and didn't even give her weepy parents a backward glance. _Lovely child_, Vespa thought again. _So much like her own self_.

Now her soft nephew was threatening to ruin everything. She knew Severus was a Death Eater, and that was fine with her. She knew he would most likely die before her and then Sebastian's estate would come to her and she could pass it on to Charlet. If Severus adopted that good for nothing beggar of a boy then the estate would go to him and that was not acceptable in Vespa's eyes. _Bloody mud blood boy!_

She had already used her connections in the ministry to try and get that boy sent back to his own family, but Dumbledore "the do gooder" had stepped in and ruined that plan. She wasn't sure what spells were put on this house but the ministry couldn't find the estate anymore. There was so much heat coming from the public for the Dursley's to stand trial that it was getting harder and harder for her plan to work and the boy to be returned to his family.

She knew she had to find a way to break the barrier on the house so she could inform the ministry as to where Potter was. She had even tried to floo them in but there was some sort of magic that continued to stop them from entering. _A password maybe? Hmmm _

Severus is so stupid, he will never figure out it was me who set the wheels in motion to get that boy sent back to where he belongs. How dare he adopt a child without permission! He probably didn't even wonder why I would make a surprise visit after 8 years.

Maybe she would have to get Potter to leave the estate on his own free will, without Severus finding out. Then once he was past the barrier she could call her friends. _Yes, that just might work_. She would get Charlet to help Harry see why he must leave and soon. Charlet was a very conniving girl and could make any man do her bidding.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Harry woke up feeling tired but very hungry. He thought back to the previous night and how every time he woke up Severus was sitting right there next to him, putting cold towels to his head. _So this is what it feels like to have a father_ he thought. He liked it and even though he was still afraid of Severus when he was angry he was sure that the Professor really did care for him. It was so odd how just months before they couldn't stand each other and now he felt a need to be his family.

Snape had told him to come down for breakfast at eight o'clock. Then after breakfast the Potion Master wanted to test his magical abilities. Apparently when you've been through the sort of trauma that Harry had been through, there was a possibility it could effect your reflexes to cast spells.

As Harry showered and dressed he thought back to the conversation he had had with Professor Dumbledore in the hospital regarding Hedwig. He was told that the Aurors were still trying to locate Hedwig and had not been able to find her. Harry's heart sunk at the thought of losing his companion. Snape had told him that they were still looking and not to give up hope. He wished he could search for Hedwig himself. He just had a sixth sense about her locations usually and would know if she were anywhere close by. But there was no way that Snape was going to let him get anywhere near Privet Drive.

Harry walked into the breakfast room and came to a stop. Aunt Vespa was pointing her finger in Severus' face.

"If you do not stop coddling that boy he will turn out worse than you!" Vespa hissed out.

"And if you do not remove your finger from my face you will have one less claw to sharpen!" Severus hissed back.

Just then Charlet noticed Harry and said in a falsely sweet tone, "Do you always lurk around spying Harry?"

Everyone stopped and looked at him. He shuffled his feet in embarrassment and stammered, "I-I'm sorry I'm late for breakfast."

"Then you will not eat Mr. Potter!" growled Aunt Vespa, "At Snape Manor you are not a 'hero'. We will not tolerate you acting like a spoiled brat and showing up for meals when you want."

Harry looked towards Snape but the Professor looked away. He had warned the boy about being late, twice.Maybe next time Harry will think twice.

"Sorry," Harry mumbled then turned and walked out to the gardens.

Harry went into the ivy maze thinking about his best friends and what they must be thinking of his relationship with Snape. He was sure Ron must be going mental over the thought of Snape being his father. Hermione on the other hand would just want whatever was best for him.

Charlet quickly excused herself from the table and ran after Potter. She had seen the dejected look on the pathetic boy's face and thought this would be a good opportunity to get him to leave the estate. Vespa had made it quite clear that the Potter boy must not get adopted into the Snape family and Charlet was all too eager to help.

She found Potter roaming the maze and looking like he was deep in thought. "Hey Harry, I was just kidding about you being a spy. I thought you would think it was funny," Charlet pulled a strand of her long black hair forward and began to twist it in a most beguiling way.

Harry didn't like the way she was looking at him and tried to ignore her.

"Harry, would you like to take a walk down by the pond?" Charlet walked as close to Harry as she could, rubbing up against him every chance she had.

"Charlet, I just want to be alone right now, alright?" Harry didn't want to be mean but the girl was obviously wanting to hang out with him and he didn't feel like talking with anyone at the moment.

"Are you sure you don't want to go for a little swim?" Charlet asked as she unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt.

Harry quickly averted his eyes and shook his head, "Sorry, not right now."

Charlet quickly changed her tactic, "Fine! Plenty of boys would kill to be in your position right now. But just so you know, my friends are coming over this evening and my Aunt Vespa is planning on making you behave like a gentleman for the whole evening. So you best not embarrass us and act like you're acting right now."

Oh great! A whole evening spent with more girls like Charlet! This day just couldn't get any worse.

Before Harry could respond he heard Severus calling for him to come in. Both teens made their way out of the maze and over to the Potion Master on the veranda.

Charlet stood before Severus with a scowl on her face, "Your son is rude and I'm going to tell Vespa what a horrible addition he will be to the family!"

Severus raised an eyebrow then his gaze traveled to Harry. He watched as the boy looked ill at ease, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and looking down.

"Potter explain," Snape said in a no nonsense tone of voice.

Harry looked at the arrogant girl before looking up at the professor, "She wanted to go for a swim and I just didn't feel like it."

"He has no manners and if you ask me, he should be sent back to that uncle of his for another beating!" Charlet spat, knowing she had struck a nerve when she saw Harry flinch. She turned her back and sauntered back into the breakfast room with a smile on her face.

Harry took in a deep breath and shook his head. The girl was pure evil!

Severus placed an arm around Harry's shoulders and guided him into the Manor.

"Pay no heed to her unkind words."

"I hope her friends are nothing like her. Do you think it would be alright if I didn't go to the dinner tonight?" Harry asked hopefully.

Severus wished neither of them had to go but after canceling out last night he knew they would both need to attend. "Vespa has a rather peculiar decree regarding social gatherings; I fear another absence would put us in rather dire circumstances."

Harry looked up at the Potion Master with confusion, "So you're saying that we'll get in trouble if we don't go?"

"Precisely."

XXXXXXXXX

"I would like to check your magical abilities and see how the past events has effected them. When we are finished you will begin your school studies," Severus said as he unlocked the laboratory doors. The cool air hit them as they made their way down into the dank room.

Severus placed a hand on the top of Harry's head then pulled his wand out and touched the tip to the boy's forehead.

Harry jumped back a little not sure what the professor had planned. He flushed when he realized his fears were unfounded and willed himself to stand still.

"Calm down Potter. I am merely trying to get a feel for your ability to use wandless magic. Now try to push my wand away with your will. You have to really concentrate and ..."

Severus stopped talking as his wand went flying across the room and struck the wall, sparks flying in all directions.

"I-I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean for that to happen!"

"Potter, you must stop apologizing for every little thing you do. I wanted you to do that!"

"Oh" Harry felt stupid. But he was pleased that he had been able to use wandless magic so easily. He had never been able to use wandless magic like that before.

Severus held his wand up once again, "Now let us see how your patronus is."

"I don't have my wand, sir."

"I know, that is why I am going to lend you my father's wand until we get to town and buy you a new one." Severus handed Harry a long black wand with scratches on it.

When Harry lifted it, it felt wrong, like it wasevil. He didn't want to use it.

"Excuse me Professor but I don't feel good about using this. It just doesn't feel right."

Severus raised an eyebrow and pointed out, "Harry when you are in battle with the Dark Lord you may have to pick up any wand and use it, no matter how it feels."

"I know sir, but I don't want to do this right now, if its okay with you?" He carefully laid the wand down on the desk and felt instantly better.

Snape was not pleased, "Potter that is not an excuse I will accept. Pick up that wand without further argument."

Harry just stared at him, not wanting to disobey but not wanting to touch that wand again.

"I will not ask again Potter," came the firm voice, bordering on angry.

Harry looked at the wand on the table with trepidation. He knew the wand felt wrong but maybe he was just overreacting. He touched the wand with his fingertips and pulled his hand back sharply. The wand felt cursed or evil or maybe just dark.

Snape watched the boy, thinking his antics were false. Potter always did overreact to simple tasks in the past. Maybe the boy was just testing his boundaries.

A thread of anger wound its way around Severus until it completely overtook him. The dark magic pushed through him like a lightening bolt, causing an overwhelming anger directed at the boy.

The anger and hate towards Harry spiraled out of his control. The only way Severus knew how to force Harry to make a patronus popped into his head suddenly. He knew it was wrong but couldn't stop himself from holding up his wand and yelling, "**Dementors**!"

A giant black hooded figure sprang out of his wand and headed for Harry with his ugly mouth open!

Harry was shocked that Severus would do that to him, knowing how afraid he was of those things from the occlumency lessons last year. He began to back up into the shelf behind him, knocking his head hard as bottles and vials came crashing around him. The air was so cold it hurt his lungs to breathe.

The Dementor came closer and was almost upon him when he stuck his hand out and called for the wand. "Accio wand!"

The black wand flew off the table and into his outstretched hand. He lifted the wand but was frozen in fear as the Dementor stuck his slimy hand out and reached for him.

Harry couldn't catch his breath enough to yell out the spell for his patronus but suddenly a giant silver stag came bounding out of the black wand. It reared up on it's hind legs then stabbed the Dementor with his antlers. The Dementor disappeared and the stag circled the room until it dissipated into a silver wisp.

At the precise moment that the stag disappeared Harry felt a searing pain in his hand. He dropped the wand to the floor and grabbed his hand. The pain was beyond anything he had ever felt. His skin was burning away and blood began to drip down to the stone floor. His hand was on fire but there weren't any flames. Harry dropped to his knees, screaming out in agony, rocking back and forth.

Severus was by his side in a flash, holding him when Harry passed out from the intense pain. _What the hell had happened?_

Severus had stood frozen watching the entire scene play out before his eyes. He was actually motionless with alarm over producing that Dementor to begin with. He couldn't believe that he would do that to anyone, let alone the boy that would one day become his son. Thefeeling of hate towards the boy had left him by that point.He was actually going to step in and get rid of the Dementor not a second before Harry produced the Patronus.

Severus picked Harry up and laid him on the sofa by the wall. He saw all the blood soaking into Harry's robe and saw where it was coming from. He quickly uncurled Harry's fingers and saw with utter horror all the skin missing from his palm. Right before his eyes, more skin was being eaten away, revealing bone and muscle.

What the bloody hell was causing this?

Severus was in a panic. How could he stop this! He scrambled back to where Harry had dropped the wand and saw the wand glowing a bright red. He was just about to pick it up but the heat coming from it was intense. His bastard of a father must have hexed the wand so no one else could use it.

Severus quickly turned around and began searching for the bright gold vial of potion to stop Harry's hand from continuing to burn away_. I can't find it!_ He looked over at Harry and saw his hand dripping blood down the side of the sofa. Just when he was going to totally lose it, he spotted a lone gold vial that had rolled under the desk. He raced back to Harry and poured it in his open hand. Immediatelythe boy'sskin stopped burning away but the muscle and bone where still a raw open wound.

Harry woke up with a start and grabbed his hand screaming out in pain. Then he suddenly fell silent, holding back his screams as he had been taught.

Severus could see the pain the boy was in and ran to the cabinet, throwing the doors open he seized a cauldron. He grabbed a bottle of silver liquid and quickly poured it in. He ran back to Harry, the liquid sloshing over the top, and stuck Harry's hand in the bowl.

Immediately the burning stopped and Harry soon relaxed a little. It took a few moments for him to get his bearings and realize that he wasn't with Uncle Vernon on Privet Drive. He looked around the room and it all came flooding back to him, the wand, the Dementor and the awful burning in his hand. He sat up quickly and looked at Severus.

"**You horrible bastard!** You threw a Dementor at me! You stay the hell away from me! I hate you! Send me back to Hogwarts **now**!" Harry was gulping for air, trying to catch his breath.

He pulled his hand out of the cauldron to see what had happened to it. As soon as his hand left the soothing silver liquid it burned fiercely. He stuck his hand back in feeling trapped and angry over having to stay down in the dungeon with the man who had done this to him. He was so confused and frustrated that this had even happened, just when he thought he found a father.

Severus didn't know what to do. This whole thing was his fault. He knew about Harry's greatest fear from the occlumency lessons last year and he used it against him. He didn't even know how to stop himself from doing it. Maybe Harry should get away from him before he did something worse to him. _I can't get my anger under control, someone is attacking me! I must get Harry away before I kill him._ There was such sadness in his heart at that thought.

Severus stood up slowly and made his way over to the fire. He threw some floo powder in and called Dumbledore.

"Harry needs to go back Professor." he stated, without any explanation.

Dumbledore knew something was wrong but needed more time to find out who was pulling the strings to get Harry sent back to the Dursley's. The place was crawling with ministry officials and there was no place safe to hide Harry.

"I can't grant that request at this time. I need more time. Please make this work Severus... for Harry's sake."

Before Severus could respond Dumbledore disappeared. Severus knew it was wrong but there was a bit of relief in his heart.

Harry couldn't believe his ears. _I have done everything the old man says_ _and Dumbledore can't lift a finger to help me._ Harry was hurt and felt totally betrayed, more alone now than ever before. He knew he couldn't stay with Ron or Hermione, the danger to them was too great. Lupin was out and Sirius ... he was gone now too.

An overwhelming feeling of frustration and fear filled Harry making him turn his face into the sofa to hide his tears.

Severus was still kneeling by the fire with his head hanging down when he heard Harry cry. It broke his heart to the very core knowing that he was responsible for that. He had to make it up to him, he had to overcome those feelings he had in anger. He owed it to Harry and deep down he knew if Harry left, he would never change.

He got up slowly and walked over to the sofa. He sat down next to the sad boy, "Harry give me another chance. I need you to give me another chance. Something is happening to me and I am not sure what it is. I did not throw that Dementor at you on purpose. Please Harry, stay."

Snape placed his hand on the boy's shoulder then slowly turned his face to him.

Harry looked up at him with red rimmed eyes, "I don't want to be alone anymore but I don't know what I'm doing to make you so angry at me. If you just tell me I promise I'll try not to do it."

Those words touched Snape deeply. Those words were spoken like a child of abuse. This boy had been so traumatized by his life that he continued to put the blame of the abuse on his own shoulders.

Severus grabbed Harry's shoulders, "Harry, it is not your fault, none of this is your fault."

Harry didn't have any choice but to trust in what the professor claimed. And truth be told, he really didn't want to be sent away. Afterall, Severus was his last hope for family.

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	10. Chapter 10 A Formal Affair

Chapter 10 A Formal Affair

Snape went upstairs to grab a plate of food for Harry, so he could continue to soak his hand in the silver potion. He was just stepping out of the kitchen door when Aunt Vespa spotted him carrying the plate of food. _Great, just what I need now!_

"I guess I don't need to ask who that is for," she said with a sneer, "Now that boy has you running around like a house elf and doing his bidding. Tsk tsk, spare the rod, spoil the child! Really Severus don't you think he is laughing at you behind your back as you run around waiting on him hand and foot?"

Severus had just about enough of the old hag and wished her to return to her own estate but, he knew better then to say that to her. She could bring down a lot of trouble for him and Harry with all the so called "friends" she had in the ministry.

He knew all about the shady adoption of Charlet and how her parents were treated. He heard that they were so traumatized from the experience that they never came out in public anymore. Most people assumed they were horrible people who locked their daughter in a closet and gave her nothing but bread and water. Severus knew the truth. He knew that whatever Aunt Vespa wanted, Aunt Vespa got. She would stop at nothing to get her way.

That is why Severus had to make sure Harry was on his best behavior while she was around. He didn't want to give her any excuse to punish him. Severus had felt her punishments firsthand and knew that she took great joy in doling them out. He would never leave Harry in Aunt Vespa's care.

So he just said, "And a good day to you too Aunt Vespa. If you do not mind I have important matters to attend to." He walked past her with black robes billowing behind him and headed back down to the dungeon. _Damn that old bat! _

Vespa watched her nephew walk past her and was not surprised he was acting like a house elf. He had already embarrassed the family by becoming a _school teacher_. _Imagine a Snape wiping snot nosed kids_. She was glad her Sebastian wasn't around to witness that!

Down in the dungeon,

Harry was still lying on the sofa with his hand in the cauldron. He was looking at the potions book Severus had handed him and trying to figure out how to brew an invisibility potion so he might be able to sneak back to Privet Drive and look for Hedwig. The problem was, he was underage and it was against the rules for him to brew that potion. When he saw Severus coming he quickly turned to the next page. The last thing he needed was to get into trouble for brewing an illegal potion!

Severus placedthe food down next to Harry on a small table and encouraged him to eat. Harry didn't need to be told twice. He hadn't kept any food down for days so the pumpkin pasta was the best food he had ever eaten. Severus sat and watched the boy eat with gusto. He thought about how undernourished Harry was and how he musthave gotten that way. The Dursley's had a lot in common with his Aunt and the way they viewed raising boys.

Harry finished up and decided to see how his hand was feeling out of the potion. He lifted it out and saw the muscle through a very thin layer of skin. It began to burn intensely as soon as it was out of the potion.

"Professor? What do you think your Dad did to that wand? I mean, don't wands get passed down in a wizarding family? At least that's what Ron said."

"Well, if I am not mistaken Mr. Potter, that wand was probably meant for me. My father and I didn't see eye to eye. I think he musthave used a very ancient, very illegal spell. He wasn't a very understanding man,"thePotion Mastersaid, as he poured more silver potion in the cauldron Harry had his hand in.

"Did he know you were a erm,…Death Eater?"

"Oh yes, he was actually happy that I became one. He was the main reason I joined the Dark Lord. He had no regard for human life, unless it benefited himself."

"Did you get along after you joined Voldemort?" Harry was completely intrigued with Snape's family. What kind of father would put a curse like that on a wand meant for his own son? No wonder Snape had always been so snarky and mean.

Snape gave Harry a reprimanding look at the mention of The Dark Lord's name but answered him anyway, "Well, for a while we were on speaking terms but soon enough we had a falling out." He didn't say anything else, he looked down at the bottle of potion he was holding and shook his head.

Harry didn't know what to say. It sounded like Snape's childhood was worse than his.

Severus walked back to his cauldron and continued working on the potion he was making for Harry's hand. It would be a bandage that wrapped around the burned hand that had skin regrowth inside it. That way Harry wouldn't have to sit there all day with his hand in the cauldron, waiting for the skin to grow back.

Harry opened the book again and began reading about the invisibility potion. He would need to brew it for five hours. He knew Severus wasn't going to let him be on his own for that long without checking up on him. If Severus found out he was brewing an illegal potion he didn't want to think about how angry he would get. Maybehe could sneak out of bed and brew it tonight? That might work?

After Severus wrapped Harry's hand in the bandage, they went back upstairs to get ready for dinner. Aunt Vespa had invited some of Charlet's friends for supper. This was to be a formal affair.

Harry was nervous about doing something wrong during dinner and asked again if he really needed to go, "Vespa hates me anyway so why would she care if I were there or not?"

"I believe this supper was put together with you in mind. If I am not mistaken the guests are supposed to be impressed with the fact that Charlet knows the 'Famous Harry Potter'."

Harry paled over hearing that. So they just wanted him there to parade around and impress people? Now he really didn't want to go, "I'm not going Severus."

"You will attend this affair as my son and act in an appropriate manner at all times. Now get dressed before we are late," Snape commanded.

Harry wanted to argue about not going but Snape swept out of the room so quickly he didn't have a chance. He hated being looked at like a circus side show freak. His insides knotted up over the night he would endure.

After showering he stood before the long mirror in his bedroomand looked at the reflection before him. His dress robes were very nice, he had never owned anything that expensive before. His hair was sticking up a little in the back and he couldn't quite get it to lie flat down. He used a little morecharmed gel that he had found in the bathroomand managed to get it under control. His hand was stinging but at least it wasn't burning anymore. Why did he have to feel so nervous?

He walked down the long winding stairs and walked into the big formal living room. He stopped at the door and looked around, across the room, standing by the fireplace were three giggling girls in long fancy dresses. Severus was standing by the bar watching the scene before him, with a sneer on his face and a glass of fire whiskey in his hand. Harry headed over to him.

"Ah Harry, you look presentable." said Severus. "Let us go into the lion's den, shall we?"

They walked over to the group of young ladies. Immediately the girlsall stopped talking and looked at Harry. Harry wished he were anywhere else but here. He looked down at his shoes.

Severus introduced him, "This is my son, Harry." He stuck his arm behind Harry and pushed him towards the young ladies.

Charlet spoke up, "These are my best friends, Aleena and Alix."

"Nice to meet you," said Harry while he stuck his finger down his collar to loosen it.

Immediately the girls began to bombard him with questions. The kind of questions he hated, like about his encounters with Voldemort. Aleena actually reached out and touched his scar. Harry pulled his head away and caught sight of Severus watching himwith a smirk on his face. Harry gave him a dirty look and turned back to the girls hoping dinner would begin and the night would end.

A loud shrill voice cut in, "Your manners have not improved Mr. Potter."

Harry quickly turned around and saw Vespa sitting in the high backed chair for the first time. Severus took a step towards Harry.

Aunt Vespa was looking at Harry as if he was a blast ended skewert.

"Um, I'm not really sure wha…."stammered out Harry, before he was cut off by a very stern looking Vespa.

"When you enter a room, you should always greet the hostess first. I find your manners truly appalling, but then again I shouldn't be surprised." She wanted to put Harry in his place, the damn Mudblood. Look at him showing off in front of pureblood young ladies.

Harry had to hold back a sharp comeback that wanted to be let loose.

Severus couldn't believe thatVespa would intentionally humiliate Harry in front of guests.

"Aunt Vespa, you seem to have lost your manners as well." He turned on his heel and asked Harry to help him with drinks.

Harry heard a gasp from Vespa but didn't want to look her way. He quickly followed Severus to the bar and helped serve the drinks.

Alix and Aleena didn't know what to say. Charlet on the other hand had a very slight smile on her face. She was getting sick and tired of hearing about Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, from her best friends. This dinner was put together to make them jealous and tell everyone at school what a lucky girl she was. The girls at her school would be green with envy!

Thankfully the butler announced dinner and they all made their way into the dinning room. Harry held Aunt Vespa's chair out for her, as instructed by Severus earlier. It took everything in him not to pull it away as she sat her over stuffed bottom down. Harry sat down and looked around at the room. There were long silver candles floating around with long strings of white pearls connecting them. Sprinkled among the candles were large crystal prisms, casting tiny rainbows around the room. The table had candles along the center with tiny magical fairies flitting around them. The effect was quite mesmerizing and Harry began to relax a bit.

Then a slow burn began on his scar, steadily intensifying…

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	11. Chapter 11 A Message From Voldemort

-1Chapter 11 A Message From Voldemort

Harry's scar began to burn. He was sitting at a formal dinner with the nasty Aunt Vespa and three giggling girls and he knew this was not going to go over well.

Charlet continued to throw him contemptuous looks as her friends fought for his attentions. The other girls sat staring at him the entire time. It was hard to hide the pain he was in under such scrutiny.

He rubbed his scar, pressing his fingers down on it, hoping that would stop the inevitable pain, hoping that this time it would pass quickly. The pain made his eyes water, and he began to feel dizzy. He took deep breaths trying to remain silent as the searing pain intensified. Images not his own began to float about in his head. He knew he wouldn't last much longer before the pain became too much to hide.

Severus observed Potter's odd behaviour, suddenly comprehending that the boy was in the throes of an attack from the Dark Lord. He saw Potter rubbing at his scar and tears in his eyes. _Oh Merlin! Not now Harry._ The boy was doing a fairly decent job of hiding his pain but Severus knew it was escalating. He could feel the tingle on the dark mark on his own arm beginning to intensify.

"Harry, I require your help immediately in the dungeons. I overlooked a potion I had started earlier. Please excuse us for a few moments," Snape said to the ladies. He quickly walked over to Harry and pulled his chair back and grabbed his arm. Which was a good thing as Harry began to lose sight from the blinding pain.

"Severus, you sit down now! How unacceptable to do this to our guests!" Vespa growled.

Severus ignored her and pushed Harry out the door. He could hear her snarls from behind his back and the whispering from the young ladies.

Severus pushed Harry through the door leading to the dungeons and shut it quickly. He no sooner turned back around then saw Potter fall down to his knees and grab his head. There was nothing he could do for this boy but watch as Potter bit his lip to hold the screams in. Severus pulled his wand out and cast a silencing spell.

"A silencing spell is in effect. There is no need to hold back your cries," Severus said in a guarded tone. These attacks on the boy were unnerving to witness.

Harry could see through Voldemort's eyes. Voldemort was so angry, he was ripping apart a room and throwing curses at all the Death Eaters standing around watching. '_Snape, Snape Snape … Voldemort was angry at Severus!_' Harry could feel it. The pain started to ebb away and he let himself fall the rest of the way to the floor, taking in big gulps of air as he felt the cold stone ground under his cheek.

Voldemort was angry at Snape because of him. Another person would be in danger because of him.

Severus stood watching, before he knelt down by Harry and touched his arm, "Better now?" he asked as he took the silencing spells off.

"Severus, he knows, he knows, Voldemort knows!" Harry alleged as he lifted his face from the ground clearly panicking at the new information he had gleaned.

"Get control of yourself Potter!" Severus snapped, completely lacking the art of comfort.

"What exactly does the Dark Lord know?"

"About you Severus. About you and helping me and living here and protecting me. He knows everything. You're not safe Professor!" Harry panted with pain in his eyes.

A slight sneer spread across the potion master's face, "Of course he knows Potter. Every newspaper in the wizarding world has your story plastered across the front page. My name happens to appear as well. This was inevitable since I **am** planning on adopting you."

Harry leaned up against the wall, looking up at his guardian with shock, "You don't care that you're going to have to stop spying?"

Snape spread out his long arms and shrugged, "There are more important ways to help the light side then to spy."

"You mean looking after me, don't you?" Harry said bleakly. He loathed the idea of Snape having to change his whole life around just for him, only to be put in more danger than he was in before.

"Everyone will find out soon enough. I was hoping it wasn't go….." Severus stopped talking and grabbed his arm. He bent his head down and began to block out the pain radiating from the dark mark.

"Professor! What's happening?" Harry asked with fear over the way his guardian was looking.

"He's calling me." It took a minute but Harry understood exactly who it was calling Severus back. He watched the professor compose himself.

"Are you improved?" Severus asked, realizing he was more concerned for the boy than from any threat Voldemort posed.

"I-I just need to lie down for a few minutes. How do you feel? Is he still calling you?" Harry asked as he looked at the arm Severus was guarding. He wanted to see the dark mark but was afraid it would hurt just to look at.

"I am fine, as a matter of fact I believe I will walk the grounds and strengthen the protective spells. I do not presume I will be quite so popular with my Death Eater friends any longer," he sneered. "Go down to the dungeons and lie down on the sofa. I will be back as soon as possible."

Harry nodded, wishing he hadn't put the professor in such a precarious position. He held onto the wall as he descended down into the dungeon, loosening his tie and taking his dress robe off. He threw them on the bench and walked over to the sofa. As soon as his head hit the pillow he felt better and relaxed. He was taken aback that Severus hadn't seemed bothered by Voldemort finding out about them.

His head still reeled with the knowledge that Snape actually found him worthy enough to consider adopting him. What was in it for the professor? He couldn't come up with any good reason why the professor would benefit from this relationship. His mind drifted off to sleep with thoughts of being sent back to the Dursley's when Snape discovered this was all a big mistake.

Severus came back a half hour later and threw his dress robe on the bench next to Harry's. He looked down at the sleeping boy feeling new emotions he had never felt before. His heart twisted a little over the thought of this boy being sent to save the Wizarding World from darkness. Potter would pay a heavy price for the rest of them. He already had paid a heavy price with the loss of his parents and Godfather.

After much thought Severus knew it would be up to him, as the boy's father, to give Harry some good memories to take with him into this blasted war. He owed it to the boy, he owed it to Lily.

He pulled a chair over to the sofa and sat down by the worn down Gryffindor. Within minutes he fell asleep too. They didn't mean to sleep through supper and into the early morning but it seemed they both needed it.

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TBC


	12. Chapter 12 A Good Day For Flying

-112 - A Good Day For Flying

Harry and Snape were both asleep in the dungeons until early the next morning. They had slept right through the dinner and into the night. Snape woke when he heard a soft moan from Potter. He looked over at the sleeping boy squirming on the sofa, trapped in another nightmare.

Severus thought back to the days when he couldn't stand the sight of the boy. It was hard to believe he had ever felt so adversely towards Potter. Then he remembered when his feelings towards Harry had changed. The day in the infirmary at Hogwarts when Harry had reached his battered hand out to him for comfort. _Why would this insufferable child ever think that I could bring him comfort? _

Severus let his mind travel back to a time when another child had held his hand out for comfort as well …

A ten year old Severus was in his bedroom playing with his only companion at Snape manor, his pet snake. He could feel the heavy footsteps coming his way, before he ever heard them. Severus quickly gathered the snake up and stuffed it into the box and pushed it under his bed just as his door flew open.

Sebastian stood in the doorway looking down at his pathetic son and wishing he had never been born. "You dare to disobey me!" He snarled out while walking towards his son.

Severus looked up at him with pure terror. He knew he would get beaten for not following the order he was given and had not been able to carry out.

Earlier that day his snake had escaped his rooms and had found his Aunt in the tearoom. The snake somehow managed to crawl into her handbag and when Aunt Vespa put her hand in the bag the snake had bit it. Severus' father had demanded that Severus be the one to kill the snake by drowning. He wanted the process to take as long as possible, so his son would suffer. Severus couldn't bring himself to do it and planned on hiding his pet under his bed instead. Somehow Sebastian had found out and now Severus would pay a dear price.

Sebastian grabbed the boy by his shirt and pulled him up so they were face to face, the boy's legs dangling. Looking at the boy with contempt he snarled out, "You have been a great disappointment to me and to your Great Aunt. You are not the child I had hoped for, you are weak and far too much like your mother. You are not worth my time. I no longer consider you to be my son."

Severus' heart dropped. _What does this mean?_

"You will stay here at the manor until you begin school and then you are not to contact me for anything, nor are you ask for anything. Do not come home for the holidays." He coldly dropped his son to the floor in a heap and turned to walk out of the room.

"Wait Father! I can change!" Severus was kneeling on the floor and held his hand up to his father not wanting to be left alone.

Sebastian turned back to his son and grabbed his hand. He then pulled his wand out of his pocket and the tip became a small flame. With an evil whisper he said, "Let this be a reminder that you are never to address me as 'Father' again." With that he took the flaming wand and ground it into his son's hand.

Severus tried not to cry, he tried not be weak, but soon he couldn't help himself. A scream that he could no longer hold back ripped through the air and fell on deaf ears.

Migi, their house elf came running into the room and stopped frozen at the sight.

"You are not to touch the boy," Sebastian snarled at the house elf, "I will be leaving on an extended trip and while I am gone you are not to attend to the boy in any way. He will fend for himself." He looked at his pathetic son curled up on the floor and said, "Accio snake!" The snake came hurling through the air and landed in his hand. He walked over to the fireplace and tossed the snake in. Then without another word he walked out the door.

At that moment, Severus closed his heart down and thus began the cold outer shell that took years longer to form. He lived in the manor taking care of himself, washing his own clothes, foraging for his own food, cooking for himself, until he was thankfully on his way to Hogwarts. Once there he never wrote to his father or saw him for any holiday. His father never sent money for clothes or supplies but somehow Severus managed. He began to make potions to sell and buy the items he needed. During the summers he stayed at Snape Manor, very much alone.

Now years later he had the opportunity to do what he wished had been done for him. He had the chance to become someone different then his father. When he had held Harry's hand in the infirmary something had happened to him. That hard shell began to crack, just a little but he knew this was a chance to change. That violent reaction he had the other day still reverberated in his mind. Those actions were not from him, he knew he would never consider treating the boy that way. Black magic - it was the only answer. Until he figured out what was wrong with him he knew he had to get the boy away.

Snape stood up and walked over to the fireplace, taking a handful of floo powder and throwing it in. "Hogwarts … Professor Dumbledore" Snape said. He stuck his head in the green flames and looked around. The room was empty. The portraits were looking at him and Severus said, "Please inform Professor Dumbledore that an emergency has arisen and he must contact me as soon as possible." Snape walked back to his chair by Potter and leaned his head on the workbench to wait for Dumbledore's call. Soon his eyes felt too heavy to remain open.

XXXXXXXXX

When Harry awoke he saw Severus propped up against the work bench in his chair. Harry decided to explore a little before waking him up. He needed to find out if all the ingredients were here to make the invisibility potion. He pulled the potions book out and searched the cabinet. He found it well stocked with everything he needed.

He knew the Aurors were trying to find Hedwig but he just couldn't give up hope. He wasn't ready to let go of another friend. He had experienced too much loss in such a short time and he knew he couldn't handle anymore. That is why he was trying not to imagine the risks involved in sneaking back to Privet Drive using the invisibility potion to hide him.

Harry knew if he was caught by Uncle Vernon he was a goner, and if the ministry caught him he was going back to the Dursley's anyway. Harry tried not to think of actually entering number four Privet Dr. The thought was just too frightening, but if there was any chance Hedwig was there, it would be worth it.

He looked back over at Snape and felt a bit guilty for this huge deception. Maybe he should give him a chance, maybe he should talk with him about it?_ But what if it made Snape angry? I don't want to be around for that again._ He finally decided not to risk it and to just do this alone.

He stood before Snape and gave a little cough.

Snape's eyes flew open and he quickly pulled his wand out while trying to stand.

Harry took several steps back, "Whoa Professor it's just me."

Snape looked around and said coarsely, "Upstairs Potter, shower and come down to breakfast. I will not be eating with you this morning."_ I cannot take the chance of harming him again._

"Okay ... are you alright sir?" Harry asked as he eyed him warily.

'Fine, fine just go on your way Potter," Snape retorted with annoyance. No he would not take any chances of harming the boy again. He would keep his distance from the boy until he found what the curse was.

Aunt Vespa and Charlet were taking breakfast in their rooms so they were both spared the lecture Severus knew was coming from Vespa, regarding the missed supper last night.

Harry showered and changed before heading down to the formal dining room. He felt uncomfortable sitting in there all alone with house elves serving him. He finished off his breakfast as quickly as possible. As Harry finished up breakfast, Snape came into the room.

"Did you eat an adequate amount?" Snape asked knowing how thin the boy was.

"I think I ate more this morning then I have all summer."

Snape eyed the empty plate, satisfied Potter had eaten a fair amount before replying, "You will need the nourishment for what I have planned for you today."

Harry looked up at him with trepidation clearly written on his face.

"Not to worry Potter, I think you might actually enjoy this."

He led the boy outside and through the garden. Severus had a surprise waiting for Harry. They walked over to the expansive lawn area and there waiting for Harry was his brand new Firebolt.

"Brilliant!" yelled Harry as he picked up the broom with a surge of excitement.

Harry was just aching to jump on and go. He was just about to kick off, when Severus stopped him.

"Potter, stay in the safety zone. We do not know who's out there looking for us but no matter who it is, they won't be looking out for your safety. Understand?"

"Don't be such a worry wart Professor," Harry laughed with excitement … until he looked into Snape's eyes. _Oops, maybe I shouldn't of answered that way._

"Um, yes sir, I'll be safe."

Severus wanted to smile at the way the boy was finally starting to let his guard down with him, but continued his stern look. "Alright, off you go." Flicking his fingers up.

Harry didn't need to be told twice. He kicked off and was soaring up high with pure happiness. He flipped upside down and swooped down close to Severus with a loud WHOOP! He soared back up at an incredible speed. The wind whipping across his face and hair. It felt so good to feel the power of the speed. He decided to have a little look around while he was up there and try to get a better understanding for the surrounding land. He needed to see how he could sneak out when he was ready to rescue Hedwig.

The land was covered in trees with lots of brush and open land. He knew the only way out, without getting caught would have to be his new Firebolt. Once he was out, he would have to head for the closest city and hope for a train or if he was lucky the Night Bus would pick him up. This plan just had to work.

Then he began to feel guilty, thinking about Severus and all he had done for him. If they were really going to be a true family, shouldn't he start to trust him? _Maybe Severus would actually help me. _

XXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile … Snape had walked down into the dungeons and stood in front of a tall looking glass. He chanted a complicated spell and a small blue light lit the tip of his wand. He placed the wand to his head and watched through the mirror as the spell took hold. The blue light began to circle his head, making a whirring sound and speeding up to a blue blur. The circle of light began to move downward past his neck and to his chest. Snape continued to watch as the light whirred louder. Suddenly, just as the light passed his heart, the light turned green for a flash of a second. If Snape had blinked he would have missed it. But there it was, the green indicating a curse of some sort had indeed been cast on him. The blue light continued down his body until it reached the floor. Once it was at the floor it dissipated.

Snape quickly walked over to the shelf in the corner and pulled an old beat up book down. He scanned through the "Dark Arts Potions And Curses" book until he found what he had been looking for. A green light had indicated a blood curse that could only have been placed by a blood relative. Was it his vindictive father who had placed it?

He continued reading and found that the only way to find what the exact curse was, was to draw blood from himself and mix it with a complicated potion. _Well, that I can do!_

Snape pulled out the ingredients for the potion and began to wonder what was taking Dumbledore so long to get back to him. He felt it was necessary to send Harry back to the school until he could figure this out. He continued with the task at hand worried at the results he might find.

As he was looking for the last ingredient "tongue of a wiztil" he found his potions book opened up and laying on the work bench. He knew for a fact that he had not left it out.

He turned the opened book over and saw the page it was opened to. _Invisibility Potion? _He knew he hadn't planned on working on that. Potter, could Potter be planning to brew this? It was illegal for an underage minor to brew! What foolhardy plan did Potter have up his sleeve now? Bloody hell, was he planning on sneaking out? It would be just like the dim-wit to be up to his old antics!

Snape's anger began to rise. _No, fight it! _He decided not to seek the imprudent adolescent out until he gave himself a calming draught. In the mean time, he took the ingredients needed for the invisibility potion and locked them in a secret vault behind the picture on the wall of his Great Grandfather. He took the calming draught and went to find Potter.

Harry must have been flying for quite sometime because when he looked down again Snape was motioning for him to come back in.

He landed with a soft whoosh and jumped off feeling refreshed.

"Wow! That was incredible, you should see how fast I can go on this thing!"

"Potter I need to talk with you," Snape said in a clipped tone.

XXXXXXXX


	13. Chapter 13 Taking A Leave Of Absence

-113 - Taking A Leave Of Absence

Harry had just jumped off his firebolt and had been feeling like his old self once again, that is until he saw the look on Snape's face.

Snape had been standing on the edge of the rolling lawn by the elaborate water fountain with his arms folded in front of him. His face showed a stern look which Harry had come to recognize as trouble.

"Potter I require a discussion with you," Snape said in clipped tones.

The invigorating firebolt ride had been good for Harry's self confidence. If he couldn't even face his potions teacher how was he supposed to face Death Eaters? While on his broom he had decided that he was going to rescue Hedwig at all costs and face down his revolting Uncle as well, if it came to that. After much debate he thought he would let Snape in on the plan and see if he might help.

"Follow me into my laboratory," Snape said as he assessed the boy. Harry's coloring looked better then it had since before he left for the summer. He actually looked healthy or as healthy as you could look after the ordeal he had been through. Snape noticed the boy eyeing him with trepidation. He thought he would put him at ease.

"How did you find your ride Mr. Potter?"

"It was brilliant! If I get to play Quiddich again this year, this broom will be my secret weapon," Harry exclaimed, still feeling the adrenaline from his ride.

"What do you mean 'if you get to play this year'? Why wouldn't you play?"

"Erm … you do know I was banned from ever playing again, don't you?"

"Mr. Potter you will find that there will be …shall we say … certain "advantages" to becoming my ward. And one of those advantages is that future Dark Arts teachers will have to face me if they choose to treat you unfairly," Snape said with a curled lip and look of indignation. How dare that ridiculous woman tell _his_ ward what he could and could not do!

Snape almost felt like smiling at the look Harry was giving him. Perhaps the boy will begin to trust a little more.

"But what about Umbridge's ban, Sir?"

"Umbridge? Do you honestly think Umbridge is in any position to uphold that ban?" sneered the Professor.

"I-I don't want you to get in any more trouble because of me," Harry said but still hoped for the best.

Snape stopped walking and looked Harry in the eyes. "I will not have you sitting on the side lines while someone with fewer abilities on a broom claims your position. As far as I am concerned Umbridge's ban means nothing. If you want to play, then you shall play. I will not allow a puffed up bat to tell me what my … my son may or may not do!" With that said Snape walked ahead of Harry with robes billowing behind.

YES! Maybe Snape wasn't going to be such a bad guardian after all. Harry was already planning his first secret move on getting the snitch against Malfoy.

As they descended down the stone steps the air became cooler and smelled slightly damp. Snape opened the door to his lab and allowed Harry to walk through before closing it once again.

The professor walked over to his work bench and turned on his heel to face the boy.

Harry looked up at the professor and saw that he was holding a small vial in his fingers. He bucked up his courage and decided to go through with confiding his plan.

"Erm, Professor, I need to talk with you too."

Snape held a hand up and said, "Wait Potter, I must speak first." He uncorked the calming draught and finished off the last of it. He did not want to cut Harry off but he did not want to take any chances of losing control before he had a chance to tell the boy about the curse. The effects were immediate as he began to relax.

Harry shifted his weight and dropped his gaze, losing a little of that Gryffindor bravery.

Snape spoke in a cool collected voice, albeit a little slower than usual due to the calming draught. "Potter, I have just discovered that I am indeed under a curse. I am not sure which one it is but I am in the process of finding out." Snape held his wand out to Harry, "Take this Potter."

Harry hesitated; it was unheard of for a professor to hand his wand over to his student.

Snape grabbed Harry's hand and placed the wand in it. Harry tentatively held the wand, almost as if it were a live snake.

"You see Potter; I cannot control my anger towards you. At the slightest provocation it is set off like wildfire. I do not wish to harm you. That had never been my intent when I decided to take custody of you ... that is why you must leave." Snape looked at Harry's eyes and saw the confusion and betrayal.

"But, wait! I can try harder ... I'm not sure ..."

Snape abruptly cut him off, "No Potter, it is not your fault. Do you not understand? It is a curse and I have no control over it. I have imparted my wand to you lest I lose control and harm you further. If you see that I am unable to control my emotions you must place me under a body binding spell and floo call Dumbledore immediately."

Harry didn't know what to say. He pocketed Snape's wand and hoped it would never come to that. But was this all true? Or did Snape just get tired of taking care of him?

"I am trying to get you out of here as quickly as possible but the Headmaster has not returned my floo call. I cannot floo call anyone else without being detected by the ministry. We are really in quite a quandary, as it were." Snape folded his arms in front of him keeping his eyes on Harry. The boy's emotions were so readable. He could tell Potter was blaming himself once again.

"Sir, what if I promise not to make you angry again and …" Harry begged, dignity long forgotten.

Once again Snape cut him off, "Stupid child, are you not listening?" He spun on his heel facing away from his young charge and placed his hands flat on the workbench. Was the boy trying to be obtuse or was he really ignorant of the facts just explained to him?

Harry's heart sunk but he tried not to let his face show how he was feeling. It hadn't taken long for Snape to tire of him too. What was all that talk about 'the advantage of becoming his son' about? He felt so stupid; of course Snape didn't really want to follow through with the adoption.

In a quieter tone Snape continued, "Harry you must understand that you are in danger."

It all sounded like a big joke to Harry, the Professor seemed perfectly fine right now. Why didn't he just come out and tell him to get out. He didn't need to go through this game.

Harry took a deep breath and wished that he had had time to make the invisibility potion before.

"Sorry Professor, I'll leave when you want. I should go up and pack ... or-or do you wish for me to leave the clothes you bought behind," Harry had whispered the last part and was looking down at his shoes, now feeling completely pathetic.

Snape felt the boy still hadn't appreciated his intent. He turned back around and saw the boy's shoulders slumped and head hanging. He merely wished the boy to leave temporarily, just until the curse was under control.

Harry suddenly looked up into Snape's eyes and saw the false concern. He had enough of this game and gave a little smirk. To hell with Snape! He didn't need all those clothes or anything else from the man.

"I really didn't need all that stuff anyways. I mean I think it's pretty ridiculous to have ten pairs of pajamas when I sleep in a t-shirt and sweatpants. I hope you don't get mad but I gave those pajamas to your house elf. And some of those jumpers look like something my Aunt Petunia would wear," Harry spat out with anger.

"Potter it is obvious you have not understood this conversation." Snape bent his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. What's wrong with the boy?

"Oh yeah? I'm not as dim as you think I am Snape!" Harry was getting tired of this roller coaster ride with the professor. What kind of trick was this anyway?

Snape wanted to explain again but felt the calming draught had not worked as well as he had anticipated. He began to feel on edge and worried that he might lose control if he spent much more time with the boy, "Pack whatever you wish. **Just go**!"

Harry looked towards the workbench trying to eye the potions book. If he just had that potion then maybe his plan to save Hedwig might still work.

Snape saw the direction the boy's eyes had flicked and remembered the little talk he had planned for Harry regarding the invisibility potion. "Potter, I truly hope you are not so dimwitted as to make an illegal potion. Whatever ridiculous scheme you might have planned … will-not-work."

Harry had had enough! First the Professor wanted to kick him out and now he was calling him names and shooting down a plan that he knew nothing about. "You know Professor if you wanted me to leave, you just needed to come out and tell me. And as far as my ridiculous scheme, you would know nothing about saving a friend because you have never had one!"

How dare the boy talk to him in that manner. Insolent, impertinent boy! Snape could no longer focus on the words that were said but only on the surge of heated emotions coming from within himself. The anger coursed through him stronger than before and much quicker this time. The anger overtook the professor before he even had time to warn Harry.

Snap lunged at the boy grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. Harry hadn't moved quickly enough and the professor now had hold of him and had just raised his fist in the air. Harry grabbed the wrist of the hand holding his shirt collar. The professor froze as he looked into Harry's eyes. Emerald green eyes.

"Severus … don't do this ... please." Harry looked directly into Snape's foggy eyes.

Snape felt a tiny connection to the boy through the dark magic that almost completely overtook him. Snape harshly pushed Potter away from him and growled out one word, "**RUN!"**

Harry flew back and slammed against the wall but held his balance. He kept his eyes on Snape and couldn't hide his look of absolute betrayal. Turning and running up the stairs taking two at a time and out the dungeon door, he stormed through the kitchen and out the backdoor. He headed straight to the only place he felt at peace ... his Firebolt. With or without the invisibility potion he was going to save his constant companion, HedwigWhy did he ever trust the man?

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

After several moments without Harry in the room, Snape used his occlumency skills to pull himself back to reality. He took several deep breaths and felt he might be under control once more. He had almost lost control again! The boy must be sent away! He sat down heavily in the closest chair and dropped his head into his hands. Why, why did this have to happen now … when he was so close to gaining the boy's trust? The look on the boys face would haunt him for days.

He decided to continue on with the potion to detect exactly what curse this was, before seeking out Harry againHe wasn't cut out for this teenage angst. The boy could probably use some time to let the words he spoke to him sink in a littleIt seemed to Severus that Potter hadn't fully grasped the conversation correctly and might be feeling hurt. Maybe with some time and especially after this latest display he might work through it and come to realize he was telling the truth.

Severus began the potion. Just as he was adding the last ingredient in the potion, the floo turned green.

_About bloody time Dumbledore._

Severus made his way to the fire and knelt down before it. He saw the Headmaster's head in the green flames.

"Severus are you alone? I only have a few minutes as the floo is being watched closely."

"Yes. The boy is brooding outside as we speak," Severus mocked, angry the Headmaster had taken so long to get back to him. He could see Dumbledore's mouth turn down with disappointment.

"It seems that the ministry is still being pushed by a very powerful wizard to have Harry returned to the Dursley's," Albus stated, getting right to the point.

"How can that be Professor? Hasn't the public been outraged by Potter's circumstances?"

"Yes Severus, very much so, but the ministry still wants to get control of Harry. Hogwarts is crawling with officials and every floo is under high security. Even the Granger's and Weasley's have had their floo's monitored and owls intercepted. Do not apparate out of the safe zone; they will detect that as well."

"Professor that puts us in quite a conundrum then," Snape didn't know how to tell the professor about the curse but in the end decided to just give it to him straight. "After careful research I regret to inform you that I have found myself to be cursed with an old Dark Arts blood curse that at this moment is running through my veins. If Potter provokes me in the slightest I lose control of my ability to hold back my anger. It is as if the flood gates have opened and I cannot stop them. It is imperative that Mr. Potter leave my presence immediately!" Snape tried to control his voice but failed. He needed to impress Dumbledore with his desperate plea to get Harry away and quickly.

"Severus have you harmed the boy?" Dumbledore's voice had an angry edge to it. He knew that Severus had problems controlling his emotions towards the boy but now with a curse on top of that, the situation was grave.

"At this point, not beyond repair, but I can make no promises the next time it happens."

"That is very grim news indeed," Dumbledore paused before saying, "Is your Aunt still residing with you?"

"Yes, the old bat has not yet tired of my company," Snape said with sarcasm.

"Well, then you must hand Mr. Potter's care over to her, until this problem can be rectified."

"Hah! Professor Dumbledore, you obviously do not know my Great Aunt. She would just as soon lock the boy in his room and throw the key away. No, she mustn't have control over Potter."

"Severus we are in desperate times here," Dumbledore had more bad news to convey,

"Severus at this time the lands surrounding your manor are crawling with ministry officials and as of last night … Death Eaters as well. Several of your neighbors have been targeted and the Dark Mark has been seen. They have honed into the area you are in and are desperately trying to find you. Unfortunately both sides are looking for you and most especially for Harry. It is impossible to move Harry or even to have him pass through the floo undetected." The Headmaster looked bleak as he was beginning to think of a solution.

"Severus do you think you could keep from hurting Mr. Potter again?"

"Do I have a choice?" sneered Snape.

"Unfortunately I wish I could offer you assistance but it is not possible to move Harry."

"I've already exhausted my supply of calming draught to keep from harming him anymore and that only gave me a few extra minutes before I lost control. I really can not be in the same vicinity as the boy. I suppose I will have to lock myself in the dungeon until I find the antidote," Severus said as he silently calculated the time it would take to brew the potion.

Dumbledore hesitated before asking, "Severus have you spoken with Harry about the night you found him at the Dursley's yet?"

"No, I did not feel he was up to that particular horror as of late."

"Well, you must discuss the abuse he suffered at the hands of his relatives with him. Our only hope is to bring formal charges against the Dursley's in the Wizard court or they **will **get custody. We must prepare Harry to speak about the atrocities he suffered to the Wizarding Child Protective Services. If he decides not to tell about the events that took place at the Dursley's then we risk the chance of losing him Severus."

"Albus, I-I can't take the chance of losing him. I've grown rather … attached to the boy," Severus said. He'd be damned if he would let the Dursley's get their hands on Potter again!

"Well then, that should give you incentive to find the antidote for that curse of yours and then get Harry to open up to you." Dumbledore was trying to sound much more optimistic than he felt.

"Yes, I will not sleep until I fix this." Snape said as he thought about the look of betrayal Harry had given him earlier again.

"Fine, I will contact you as soon as possible. And Severus, good luck with the task at hand," Dumbledore said and then disappeared from the fire.

Severus walked back to his potion, knowing that he truly would not sleep until he solved this mystery. He picked up the ladle and stirred it three times counter clock wise. He then rolled up his sleeve and picked up a sharp knife. He pricked his arm with the knife and slowly blood dripped into the cauldron. It began to bubble as he watched with concentration.

XXXXXXXXXX

Harry ran out to the lawn area and jumped onto his firebolt. He was determined to leave this place immediatelyHe kicked off and soared up in the air. _Slow down and get control. _He knew exactly where he wanted to make his exit from. As he headed towards the edge of the safety zone he began to hear a chime. What the hell was that ringing that could suddenly be heard? He moved back towards the manor and the chimes stopped. It must have been some sort of warning signal. As he flew towards the edge of the safety zone he began to see a pink glow and looked around and noticed it was the protection barrier that Snape had cast. He hadn't seen it earlier but then remembered that he hadn't flown that close to the barrier. He circled the entire perimeter hoping to find an opening that did not ring. The last thing he needed was a demented Snape on his tail.

After a good hour of circling the estate he finally came to the conclusion that he would just have to fly right through the barrier and out to freedom. He decided to fly out over the rolling lawn, over a clump of trees and tall hedge. He aimed his broom and headed straight for the barrier. The closer he came to freedom the louder the ring. Whatever that ringing was, it was not going to stop him from saving Hedwig. He picked up speed and was heading straight for the pinkish glow. Faster, faster he sped through the air until he could hardly catch a breath, his body hugging the broom. The pink glow was getting closer, Harry shut his eyes as he was about to pass through, the bells ringing incredibly loud now in his ears. **Slammm! **

Harry never knew what hit him. The barrier not only kept people out but it apparently also kept people in as well. He flew back off his broom and hurtled out of the sky towards the ground. He suddenly remembered Snape's wand and cast the same spell Dumbledore had when he had fallen off his broom at a Quiddich game.

"Aressto Momentum!" The Gryffindor yelled in a panic as he pointed Snape's wand at himself.

The spell slowed him down enough so when he landed into a large hedge it was just enough to buffer against serious damage. He sat up warily and tried to asses the damage to himself. His arms and legs had deep scratches but other than that he was remarkably okay. Now what? He made his way out of the hedge and felt around the grass for his glasses, finally finding them broken and bent. Great now he couldn't even find his way back!

He searched for the broom holding the broken eyeglasses to his eyes and saw it hanging in a tree.

"Accio Firebolt! " Harry held out his hand and the broom flew into it. He looked at his new firebolt and wanted to cry in frustration. The beautiful broom was crumbled into several pieces. He had even managed to ruin a gift from someone who had actually liked him for who he was. Remus had always been so kind. Then he thought about Snape and his lie to get rid of him. Bloody hell why hadn't this worked out? Why did he have to ruin everything!

Harry dropped down to his knees on the grass, holding onto his broom. The impact of the barrier to his head had made him dizzy. He began to take deep breaths to stop the spinning but that wasn't working. He tried to stand up but the spinning worsened and he fell back down to the grass finally losing consciousness.

XXXXXXXXXX

Severus was watching the cauldron carefully and waiting for the color to change. Finally after several minutes it turned a putrid green and yellow smoke billowed upwards. He opened up the dark arts book and found the answer he had been looking for.

The curse was beyond any evil curse he could have imagined. He read what the curse entailed:

Familila Destructo - A curse that must be made by a family member against a blood family member. The curse begins the day a child is born or an adoption is to take place. The person cursed will be provoked by the slightest anger which will be multiplied by hundreds, thus giving the cursed family member an uncontrollable urge to harm/kill the child. The curse is given by drinking the blood of the curser along with a potent hex that will be in the blood stream for life. The only known antidote is a complicated potion that must be brewed within the first month the curse takes effect. This curse is usually cast to keep an inheritance from being …

Snape stopped reading and sat heavily on the stool. _No, No I can't believe it! _He opened the book again and searched out the complicated potion and began to gather the ingredients. His heart was racing and he was still in shock. How could his own father do that? Did he really hate him so much?

His head was still spinning as he began to prepare the ingredients. He worked methodically while trying to push his feelings for his father away, failing miserably. Who had his father planned to leave the estate to? Blasted man, why didn't he just disinherit him instead of casting the curse?

Severus thought of Harry and what he had almost done to him. The thought concerned him more then he would have liked. He was actually starting to have 'real' paternal feelings for the young Gryffindor and didn't want anything to stand in the way of the adoption. The potion bubbled and an awful metallic smell began to fill the room. _I've smelled this metallic once before, but when?_

Suddenly, the barrier alarm went off, filling the dungeon with the sound of a shrill bell. Snape took the cauldron off the fire and reached for his wand. Where the hell was his wand? Then he remembered … _I gave it to Potter._

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	14. Chapter 14 Time Out

-14 Time Out

Suddenly Snape heard the barrier alarms go off. He quickly ran up the stairs and out the back door. He went to grab for his wand and suddenly realized it was gone. He had given it to the boy!

"Kinsey! Come immediately!"

Kinsey stood before Snape with a 'pop'.

"Go find Mr. Potter and retrieve my wand. Make haste!"

Kinsey nodded and disappeared with another pop.

Snape was anxious as he waited for his wand. Someone or something had tried to break the barrier and that meant that someone knew they were there. He would need to make sure Potter was hidden away and had some sort of escape plan in place for him.

Pop! Kinsey could hardly catch her breath, "Master, please, Mr. Harry Potter he be hurt sir."

"Where Kinsey, where is he! Take me to him!"

Snape held onto Kinsey's small bony shoulder as she apparated both of them to the edge of the property. Harry was in a heap on the ground with his broken firebolt clutched in his hands. Snape swooped down and grabbed his wand lying by the unconscious boy. He looked around and saw no intruder as he held his wand up and checked the protection barrier.

Snape felt greatly responsible for the condition the boy was in. He was supposed to take care of Potter and once again he was hurt. Investigating the barrier once more he came to realize that it had not been compromised. This didn't add up, why was the boy hurt and exactly who set the alarm off and attacked him?

Snape quickly knelt down next to Harry and rolled him on to his back.He carefully touched the angry purple bruise on the boy's forehead then felt around his head for any other contusions. Not finding any he ran his hands down Harry's arms and legs, feeling for broken bones. Other than the deep scratches, the boy's limbs looked to be fine. He checked for any internal damage by running his wand over the unconscious teen. Finding no damage he decided to bring him into the house.

"Kinsey, I'm going to apparate us back to Mr. Potter's rooms. I will require you to tend to him while I retrieve some healing potions."

Severus carefully placed his arm under Harry's shoulders and pulled him closer, intending to stand while holding the injured boy. Just then Harry's eyes flew open and seeing who was holding him he unsteadily scrambled away still clutching his Firebolt to him.

Snape bent forward and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Harry are you hurt? "

Harry shook his head and pulled away from Snape's touch. Severus looked him over and was vexed at the boy's sudden reaction to his touch. Obviously, Potter was still angry at him and had deeper resentment at being sent away then Severus had thought.

"How did this happen? Were you attacked?" Severus asked, watching the boy look down once more.

"No," Harry answered as he sat up and quickly looked around as if planning to flee.

_No … no intruder? Then how did Potter get hurt?_

"Potter give me your broom."

Harry held it tighter and shook his head again.

Snape looked at the broken Firebolt Harry was still clutching and knew the broom was not supposed to break due to a spell that was cast on the broom. Then he remembered Dumbledore had wisely cast a powerful spell on the barrier surrounding the estate that would render any magical object trying to break the barrier useless. The only way for the Firebolt to break would have been for it to make powerful contact with the barrier. Snape peeled Harry's fingers off the Firebolt and looked at the broom carefully. It took a moment but it all came together in the end; _Potter was trying to leave and crashed headlong into the barrier. Of all the asinine things for even **him** to do! What had made him so desperate to leave?_

"Potter did you try to leave!" Snape demanded harshly. He was trying to push the anger down, careful to stopper up his emotions but failing miserably.

Harry didn't feel he needed to justify his actions to Snape, "What the hell do you care? You wanted to get rid of me anyway so I thought I might help you with that."

The nerve of the boy addressing him in that fashion. This boy really did have problems with adhering to the rules, not giving a thought to the consequences of his actions. Insolent, stubborn boy! He had no right to speak with that defiant attitude and no right to put himself in danger!

"Kinsey take the boy and lock yourselves in his room before I harm him again. Do not open the door," Snape felt the angry surge getting stronger.

"No!" Harry shouted. He was going to say more but looked up at Snape's eyes and quickly clamped his mouth closed.

Kinsey began to wring her hands and stepped closer to Harry.

"Now Kinsey!" Snape was barely holding on to reality.

Kinsey quickly grabbed Harry's arm and they were gone with a loud 'POP".

That obtuse boy was pushing him to his limits. Of all the mindless things to do in this state of emergency. Even if he hadn't had this curse running through him Severus thought he might have cuffed the boy for this latest exploit. He was used to Potter's escapades but this was beyond his realm of futility.

Snape checked the barrier one more time and headed back to his lab. His mood became calmer now that Potter was not with him. He hoped that the antidote had not been ruined since he had to pull it off the fire sooner than it called for. That would be regretful as he knew he did not have enough of the ingredients to make another batch.

As he was walking back towards the manor he saw the boy standing at his bedroom window on the second floor, with his head in his hands. There was a slight pull at Snape's once hardened heart as he continued watching the boy in the window. Harry had been though so much, it's no wonder the boy couldn't trust anyone. This is definitely not the self assured Gryffindor that used to strut around the hallways as if he owned them. The abuse he had suffered must have been horrific for such a drastic change to have happened so quickly.

Snape thought back to the rather shell shocked youth who had left on the train for his summer holiday. Even before the boy's uncle abused him the child needed to recover from the loss of that mangy mutt, Black. Then having to go home and endure being tortured by the people who were supposed to be caring for you had pushed the boy past endurance. He had no idea the youth would be returning a completely different boy, a boy suffering from the symptoms of severe abuse.Just the way that Harry flinched and stepped back whenever he moved too quickly had been a change from the once challenging, confrontational boy.

What exactly did they do to you?

Severus really didn't want to know but knew he **had** to know in order to help the child recover. He had a slight glimpse of the horror when he had to help Harry out of his fever induced unconscious state but had a feeling that was just the tip of the iceberg.

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Harry was utterly mortified. Not only had his plan failed miserably but Snape had found out about it too. Why didn't anything work out the way it's supposed to? Now he was a virtual prisoner and had no chance of saving Hedwig. Once again he felt that he would be failing a friend.

_I should have sent Hedwig away_. _I'm so stupid, I knew the Dursley's hated me and I kept Hedwig with me for my own reassurance. I've done it again, I deserve this. _

Harry thought about Severus and the way he had changed his mind about keeping him. It actually made sense to the Gryffindor that the professor should change his mind. The guilt overrode any commonsense left in Harry making him sink deeper in despair. The worse part was that he had thought that he was going to become a part of a family and now Snape didn't even want him. As unlikely as it seemed Snape had been Harry's last hope of a family. Harry felt that hope quickly slipping away.

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Snape entered his dungeon and knew without looking … the antidote was spoiled. He could smell the sulfur in the air instead of the metallic that the potion was supposed to smell like. With a flick of his wand the potion disappeared and the smell dissipated quickly. Merlin! He didn't have any root of hespian left! The antidote required that particular ingredient and the only place he knew he could find was in the forbidden forest at Hogwarts. _Now what?_

He walked over to the fireplace and threw floo powder in. He would just have to have Dumbledore get it for him.

"Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore's office," Snape said. He stuck his head in the green flames and then quickly pulled his head back out. The room was crowded with Ministry officials! Did they see him? Snape stood up and thought about a new plan of action. He knew he had to have that ingredient to make this potion work. _I don't have a choice. I have to apparate back to Hogwarts. What to do with Potter though? Aunt Vespa…_

The relationship between the professor and his Aunt had been a strained one to say the least. As a child Severus specifically remembered his aunt encouraging his father to punish him and in a very harsh way. Vespa had always told Severus that she did it because she wanted to make Severus better and stronger. As a young child he didn't want to believe her but in his naive mind he did believe her. She represented a person who his father adored and therefore a person a young Severus wished to please. Now he saw her for who she was, a self indulged, spoiled woman without any patience for inconvenience.

So, it was with great trepidation that Severus decided he had no other choice but to leave Harry in her care. If all went well it would be no longer than an hour. With Kinsey in attendance, he was slightly more reassured that Harry would be taken care of. He felt there just wasn't any other choice.

Snape quickly walked up the stairs to search for his Aunt. He found her lounging in her suite of rooms with Charlet in attendance. Vespa was sitting on a green silk sofa with her feet propped up on a velvet stool; sipping a hot tea and watching Charlet chastise her house elf mercilessly.

"Excuse me Aunt Vespa; may I have a word with you?" This was a last resort for Severus.

Charlet and the house elf quickly looked over at Severus while Vespa took her time looking up from her tea.

Vespa glared over her china cup at her nephew and replied haughtily, "How dare you come beg for forgiveness at the rude behavior you displayed at supper. You and that orphan boy should feel honored that we came to stay at Snape Manor. Instead you treat me with disdain and walk out of a dinner that was important to Charlet." Vespa reached over and grabbed Charlet's hand.

Charlet looked up at Snape with big sad eyes, fully acting the part of a wounded child.

_Oh, for Merlin's sake! "_Aunt Vespa, I must apologize for my untoward behavior. I can only plead inanity for forgetting that important potion left on the fire. You know we are in desperate times right now and that potion was very important."

"Fine, what is it that you need Severus?" Vespa thought the man looked impatient as she watched him wring his hands_. So unlike my nephew … had the curse begun already? Very good, very good indeed!_

"Vespa, I must leave for a short period of time. I just found out that we are in more danger then I had anticipated and I must make a certain potion to solve this. At the present time the estate is surrounded by 'those' wishing us harm. The estate is under a protective barrier and you should be safe inside."

"Well, I should hope so. I would hate to think that Charlet is in any danger." Vespa patted Charlet's hand comforting the girl.

"This brings me to a favor I must ask of you. Harry is confined to his rooms at this time and I would be most grateful if you would watch over him if anything should happen while I am gone? I would need you to apparate Harry out of here should there be a compromise in the barrier. The alarms will go off to give you enough time to apparate to Hogsmeade."

"Why is the boy confined to his rooms?" _The mudblood probably tried to steal the silver._

"That is not important at this time." The last thing Snape needed was a lecture on Harry Potter.

"There you go again! You are being ill-mannered Severus and I will not stand for it!" Vespa slammed down the delicate tea cup then ignored the mess it made on the silk table cloth.

Snape didn't have time for Aunt Vespa's temper tantrums, "Very well, I will tell you. The boy tried to leave the estate without permission."

"Where on earth was he trying to go?"

"Well, apparently he feels his owl is still alive and that his Uncle has possession of her. But do not worry yourself about Mr. Potter. He will be fine contemplating his erroneous behavior in his room. Now I must ask if you would be so kind as to watch over him for a short time?" Snape made sure to keep his voice respectful.

Vespa was overjoyed. It was as if her stupid nephew was handing the boy over to her on a silver platter. _This is just too good!_

"Well, I suppose I could assist the boy if need be," Vespa had a difficult time refraining from smiling.

"He is not allowed out of his room and no one should go visit him," Snape looked at Charlet to make sure she understood, "unless of course there is an emergency. If I fail to return by night fall please floo call Professor Dumbledore in his office at Hogwarts. The only working floo is the one down in my laboratory. The password is 'gillyweed'. Do not use it unless you are in mortal peril. The floo is being watched by the ministry and … others."

"Yes, yes Severus. You have turned into quite a mother hen haven't you," She couldn't help taunting her pathetic nephew as he worried over the stupid boy.

"Very well, I should be back within the hour." Snape gave the woman another glance, noticing her bemused look, then gave a slight bow and turned on his heel, heading down the hall.

Snape decided not to tell Potter he was leaving as he thought the boy might try to flee again, once Snape left the estate. _It would be just like the Gryffindor. When this curse is gone I will give that boy a thorough lecture on responsibility that he will not soon forget!_

Snape walked out to the edge of the estate carrying his broom and lifted his wand in front of him. He made a hole in the barrier and stepped through it. He quickly turned around and sealed it shut again. He straddled the broom and kicked off flying over the trees. The professor quickly cast an invisibility charm on himself. Snape looked around at the surrounding lands and could see no one in the vicinity. Maybe they gave up looking? But he knew that was not the case. He was sure they were out there just watching and waiting.

Once Snape was far enough away from the safety zone he apparated to Hogsmead and flew the remaining way to Hogwarts. He thought once again about the smell of the potion but couldn't put his finger on where he had smelled that before. He just couldn't get that smell out of his memory and knew it was important that he remember.

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Harry was pacing in his bedroom trying to come up with another plan to save Hedwig. At this point he felt he didn't have anything left to lose. He glanced over at Kinsey wringing her hands in the corner and began to wonder if she might not help him? Just as he was about to broach the subject there was a soft knock on the door. _Definitely not Snape with a knock like that._

Kinsey sprung into action and ran to the door, "Who is out there?" She whispered in a panic while looking over at Harry with fear in her eyes.

"It's just me … Charlet. I've come to check on Harry. Could you please open the door?"

"No, no, Master would not be wanting you in here," Kinsey said with uncertainty.

"I am a guest in my cousin's home," Charlet spat in an irate tone, "As such, I demand to be treated with respect!" Suddenly Charlet changed the pitch of her voice as if rethinking her attitude towards the elf, "I have to tell Harry something important little elf. Please let me in," she continued in a syrupy sweet voice.

The house elf looked uncertain.

"Just let her in Kinsey. Snape didn't say to keep everyone out," Harry would listen to what she had to say and then ask her to leave,

Slowly Kinsey unlocked the door and pulled it open, revealing a teen with a very condescending look on her face. She swept into the room purposely bumping into Kinsey on her way in.

"Get me some tea elf," The last thing Charlet wanted was Snape's house elf hearing what she planned on telling Harry.

The elf stood nervously looking from one teen to the next, not sure what to do.

"He's gone elf. Severus left so you need not worry about disobeying him. Now go get my tea and bake some crumpets as well, before I kick you out of here." It was so hard to stay sweet when your servants were so defiant. If she had been in her own home this elf would have been kicked down the stairs by now.

"It's okay, Kinsey," Harry said reassuringly.

Kinsey left with a backward glance.

Charlet shut the bedroom door and slowly turned back to face Harry, changing her sneer to that of a melodious expression. She had a job to do and failure would not be tolerated by her Aunt.

"Harry, do you know that Severus left the estate?"

Harry didn't say anything, he watched her with caution clearly written on his face.

Charlet sidled up next to Harry, using all of her teenage allure to get him to trust her.

"Cousin Severus can be so severe at times. He truly scares me. Does he scare you?"

"Scare me? Hardly." _Well, maybe a little._

"Oh Harry, he told me that you were trying to leave and how he wasn't going to help you. I just think he's so mean." Charlet said in a concerned voice."He also said that he was going to keep you locked up for days, just to teach you a lesson."

"Locked up?" Harry glanced at the door.

"Yes, he left to get some special magical locks that you won't be able to break out of."

Harry was furious! How could Snape even think he was better at being a father then Uncle Vernon? _I'm not sticking around here any longer. _Harry grabbed his cloak and headed for the door.

"Wait! Maybe I can help. Where were you trying to go?"

"Charlet you wouldn't understand." Harry turned his back on the girl and was going to head down to the dungeon and try to find something to blast open the barrier.

"Wait Harry, maybe I will understand. Maybe I can even help you. I know the password to get you out of here."

Harry stopped. It would be a lot easier then blowing up the barrier. He slowly turned and faced Charlet, watching her expression go from anxious to a bright smile.

"I need to get back to Little Whinging and find my owl at my Uncle's. I know it sounds stupid but she's all I have left."

"That doesn't sound stupid at all," Charlet couldn't believe he confided in her so quickly. He must be truly desperate. "I can help you get there!" She bounced up and down on her toes in excitement.

"Does the password break the barrier?"

"No, actually my Aunt knows the password to the floo. I know Aunt Vespa will help you."

No way was he going to trust that troll. Now he felt stupid for telling Charlet.

"Charlet please don't tell her I'm trying to leave, please," He'd beg if he had to.

"Harry you must trust me on this. Aunt Vespa just loves pets and if there is any way of saving yours, I know she would help. I promise you Harry that she will get you to Little Whinging. Why don't you let us help you?"

Harry couldn't believe he was having this conversation with the spoiled little princess but he really didn't have any other plan and he didn't have anything to lose at this point.

"Charlet if this is a trick …"

"It's not Harry, I give you my wizard's promise that you shall get to Little Whinging."

Harry knew better then to trust her but what's the worse that could happen? Snape hated him anyway and he didn't really care what Vespa thought of him. He slowly nodded his ascent.

Charlet practically skipped out of the room to her Aunt. Harry would be out of her life and away from her inheritance forever!

While she was gone Harry began to rethink his decision to let Vespa help. Within minutes the toad like woman had swept into his room with long purple robes flowing behind.

"So, you need my help, do you boy?" It was going to be effortless to get rid of the mudblood.

"Erm, I need to get back to my Uncle's without him finding out. He has my owl." _This was a long shot but worth a try._

"Yes, I used to have an owl that I would risk anything for. How noble of you," manipulating the boy was easier than she thought it would be.

"Well, she means a lot to me." Maybe Vespa's wasn't so bad. Harry felt guilty for having such evil thoughts about her now.

"Then let's not waste any time boy. Severus will be back soon and I know you don't wish to get caught." _And I don't want to get caught either._

Harry looked at her in astonishment.

Vespa turned around and headed down the hallway towards the dungeon. "Severus informed me the only floo working is the one down in his laboratory." She opened the dungeon door and began making her way downstairs. The cold air hitting them as they descended.

"But how am I going to get there undetected?" Harry asked as his mind raced with the excitement of finding his owl.

"Oh, Severus gave me the secret password before he left. Just in case we had visitors. I'll have you pop in to your relations and grab the owl and then I will open the floo from here so you can come back," She turned around and gave Harry a little wink.

It made sense to Harry but this was just too easy. Why hadn't Snape done this for him?

It all was happening so fast that Harry didn't even have time to think this through properly. Before he knew what was happening Vespa had grabbed him by the back of his cloak and tossed floo powder into the fire.

She yelled "Number four Privet Dr.!" and quickly pushed Harry into the green flames.

It suddenly occurred to Harry as he was spinning through thousands of fireplaces, that he hadn't given Vespa the address. _How did she know? _He didn't have time to contemplate that thought. Harry suddenly tumbled out of the fire and landed on the floor … of number four Privet Dr!


	15. Chapter 15 Dudley's Birthday

Harry suddenly tumbled out onto the floor of #4 Privet Drive. He quickly stood up and looked around for his relatives. He could hear voices coming from the backyard and he could smell barbeque chicken. Harry got down onto his hands and knees and crawled over to the staircase so the Dursley's would not spot him from the backyard. He quickly scrambled up the stairs and ran to his old bedroom.

When he pushed the bedroom door open he stopped at the threshold and looked inside at the tiny room. His stomach dropped and he felt a rush of fear. He was shocked to see that the room hadn't changed one bit. The blood on the floor had dried to a brownish color and the bed sheets were still bunched up on the floor by his bed. An image of his uncle flashed in his mind, _You're worthless and no one will ever want you, you freak!_ Harry broke out in a cold sweat and forced himself to take a step into the room. _Turn and face the wall! Oh God, stop thinking about him!_ Harry slowly made his way to the desk and grabbed the picture of his parent's trying to focus on something other than his uncle.

Harry walked over to the window and peeked out the curtains. He could see Dudley and his gang sitting on lawn chairs under the tree and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon standing at the barbeque pit flipping over chicken. _That's typical. Dudley sittin around waiting for food and not lifting a finger to help._ _Well at least I'm not the one waiting on the pig._

Harry turned towards his bed and hoped with everything he had that his invisibility cloak was still hidden in the floorboards. He pushed the bed over and loosened the floor board underneath. Waiting for him was his Father's beautiful cloak and photo album from Hagrid. _Yes!_ _If all goes well the Dursley's will never even know I was here and I'll have Hedwig back._

He threw the cloak over his head and made his way down to the basement. Once there he looked around for any signs of his owl, but knew already she wasn't there. If she was anywhere in the house he would of felt her somehow. Harry knew that Uncle Vernon had taken Hedwig in the car and driven off somewhere. If Hedwig was still alive then his uncle would have to go see her at some point and Harry intended to shadow him until he did.

Harry made his way into the kitchen and grabbed a few cans of soda, some cookies and a bag of pretzels. He planned on waiting down in the basement until his Uncle went to work in the morning. Hedwig must be at the Grunnings Plant somewhere. Harry knew he would find her if she was there. He headed down to the basement and hid his food behind a few boxes. He went back upstairs still hidden under his cloak for some water. Just as he walked into the kitchen the back door swung open and Uncle Vernon walked in with a plate full of chicken.

Harry's heart beat so loudly that he thought Vernon might actually hear it! Harry had no idea he would still feel terror at seeing his uncle again. He took a deep breath and shook his head. _No! I am not going to let Vernon have that kind of power over me!_ Harry decided at that moment to stop being afraid of the bloated pig standing before him.

Vernon placed the chicken down on the counter and turned towards the icebox for the potato salad. Harry eyed the chicken and his stomach growled with hunger. _Maybe I'll have a little fun with old Verny!_ Harry grabbed the plate of b.b.q. chicken and stuck it under his cloak. _This is going to taste good!_ He stood back to watch his Uncle's reaction. Vernon turned around with a big bowl of salad and froze on the spot. When he didn't see the chicken he looked around quickly then made his way towards the backdoor.

"Petunia! Did you take the chicken outside? I thought we were eating in here."

Petunia came into the house and said, "I didn't take the chicken. Vernon where did you put it? I saw you walk in with it."

"I put it right here on the counter," Vernon said slapping his hand down on the empty counter top. "Where the bloody hell did it go?"

Petunia opened the cupboard doors and looked inside them. She opened the drawers and looked under the kitchen towel. "Where did you put it Vernon? Dudley and his friends are getting pretty hungry and we don't want to upset him on his big day."

"Petunia I tell you I set that food right here!" Vernon pounded on the countertop.

Dudley walked into the kitchen and plopped his big body in the closest chair. "Let's eat! Come on blokes, get in here and dig in!" Dudley called to his friends.

Petunia looked a little frightened as she said, "Dudders, Daddy lost the chicken."

"I didn't lose it! I put it down right here!" Vernon kept pounding the counter as if that might make the chicken reappear.

"Well it didn't just get up and walk away dear," said Petunia with an annoyed expression.

"You better not be trying to make me go back on that diet again! I thought we were celebrating tonight!"

"Oh Dudders we are celebrating. We are so proud that you lost those ten pounds!" Aunt Petunia said as she went to console her son.

"Then where's my food! You said we would have chicken and cake and presents! You promised!" Dudley was acting like a five year old and Harry was quite amused.

It seemed they were celebrating Dudley's weight loss with a party.

Dudley started getting upset and almost bumped right into Harry. Harry took that as his cue to leave and headed back down to the basement as quietly as possible with the heaping plate of chicken. He sat down on the last step and grabbed a giant drumstick in his hand and took a mouthful. It was the best thing he'd had to eat all summer long! He ate another drumstick and both wings before he heard the front door slam shut. He quickly hid the chicken behind the boxes and made his way back upstairs. He looked out the window just in time to see Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia drive off with Dudley and all three of his friends crammed into the backseat. Harry laughed so hard he practically fell to the floor. _They must be going for pizza!_

Harry looked towards the fireplace and thought about Vespa and the way she knew his address without being told. _What was she up to?_ Harry really didn't have high hopes that she would floo call him back to Snape Manor but he sat down next to the fireplace just in case she did call for him. He would have to tell her that he wasn't ready to come back just yet. He didn't plan on leaving until he had his owl back.

He only hoped Snape wasn't going to be too angry at him. If he had his chance to find Hedwig then it was all worth it, no matter what Snape did to him when he found out. Harry hadn't realized how tired he was as he leaned back against the sofa and threw his cloak over his legs. He quickly drifted off to a deep sleep without any nightmares interrupting his dreams.

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Snape had rode his broom to the Forbidden Forest under the invisibility charm. When he passed through the gates of Hogwarts he could see the Aurors placed strategically around the grounds. _They must be desperate to get their hands on Harry. _Snape really needed to find out who was behind the push to get Harry sent back to the Dursley's. After the way they treated the boy Snape highly doubted Harry would come back whole if he was sent back there.

When Severus reached the edge of the forest he jumped off his broom and leaned it against a tree. Then he headed for the area he knew the plant grew in. The forest was very quiet, not even the birds were making noise. It put Severus on edge and he became very aware of his surroundings. The sun began to set and the air was getting brisk. Severus wanted to grab the plant and head back as soon as possible. The least amount of time Harry spent with his Aunt, the better. He couldn't wait to brew the potion and get rid of this horrible curse. The boy really was looking desperate the last time Snape had seen him. He decided to take matters into his own hands and go get the damn owl back for the boy. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to get the owl without being detected but knew he would come up with a plan.

Just then he spotted the tip of the rare plant sticking out behind a bunch of leaves. He bent down and carefully pushed the leaves away, revealing the perfect specimen. He pulled a small pair of clippers from his cloak and snipped the base of the plant. As soon as the plant was cut, a strong metallic smell hit his nostrils. _There it is again! The smell, the smell is so familiar! _It hit him like a ton of bricks. He remembered suddenly where he had smelled that: The tea, the so called special tea that he had with Vespa, years ago!

He thought back to that odd tea she had insisted he attend eight years ago. He remembered her serving a strange metalic tasting tea that he didn't want to drink. He remembered how she insisted that he finish every last drop, chastising his poor manners. That was the last time he had smelled that strong metallic smell. His stomach dropped down to his feet as he knew it was Vespa who had cast the spell on him and not his father.

_Oh Merlin! I left Harry with Vespa! _

Snape quickly put the plant in his pocket and ran out of the forest as fast as his legs would carry him. He found the broom leaning against a tree where he had left it and jumped on. His mind was having trouble wrapping around the idea of Vespa casting that spell on him. He knew she looked down on him but never thought she would try to kill any of his offspring. That was just too evil to fathom.

TheProfessornever imagined he would have such strong feelings for Harry Potter. He truly cared about the boy and wanted to see this adoption through. He knew he had a lot of making up to do to the boy but knew that once this curse was gone, everything would fall into place.

Snape had put the boy in so much danger and had even physically harmed him and now placed the boy with Vespa! What the bloody hell kind of guardian was he! The boy would have been better off with the Dursley's! _Well, I'm not quite that bad but I have been pretty harsh with the boy._

Snape made his way to Hogsmeade and quickly apparated as close to his home as possible. He made a hole through the barrier and climbed through. The estate looked quiet. There was no sign of anyone on the grounds. Snape took off the invisibility charm and ran into the house through the kitchen door. He quickly headed for the main staircase and had one foot placed on the first step before he froze in his tracks.

Three different Aurors standing in the living room had wands pointing at him. One of them yelled, "Freeze! Drop your wand."

Snape slowly turned towards them and assessed the situation. It didn't look too good for him. Besides the three Aurors there was Percy Weasley and Sir Stanton.

_Ah huh!_ The pieces to the puzzle all fit. Vespa must have bribed Stanton to push for Harry's return back to the Dursley's just in case her curse didn't work. Vespa must have used the secret password and let all those Aurors into the manor. Stanton was the powerful wizard pushing to have Harry taken away from him. If that was the case then where was Harry!

"Where is my son?" Snape said with a dangerously low tone of voice as he glared at Sir Stanton.

Stanton was glad he was surrounded by three Aurors and spoke with a false bravado, "You have no son Snape. If you are talking about Harry Potter, the boy is back with his family. Now don't make this harder then it already is. Drop your wand."

Severus scanned the room and tried to come up with a plan to escape. Before he knew what was happening an Auror cast the body binding spell and another Auror yelled, "Expelliarmus!"

Snape's wand went flying through the air and his body slammed down to the ground. His head took the brunt of the fall and a large cut burst open on the back of his head. He only stayed conscious for another second or two but it was long enough to catch a glimpse of Vespa standing at the head of the staircase with a large grin on her evil face.

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Harry awoke to car doors slamming and Dudley screaming about how he hated the pizza. The front door swung open and all three Dursley's walked into living room. Harry pulled the cloak over his head and scooted to the side of the sofa.

"Where's my cake! Don't I even get to eat my bloody cake or did Dad lose that too!" Dudley grabbed one of the many wrapped presents off the coffee table and tore it open. He must not of liked the new video games very much since he threw them towards the fireplace, almost hitting Harry.

Petunia walked into the living room holding a large blue cake with "Congratulation Dudley!" written across the top. Both Vernon and Petunia started clapping and saying "congratulations" to thier son.

Harry just couldn't stop himself, this was just too good! Aunt Petunia continued walking towards Dudley and was almost standing before him when she "tripped" over something and the cake went flying straight at Dudley's head. The cake landed square on Dudley's round face! Harry smashed his fist into his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Vernon tried to say something but words would not come out of his mouth and Petunia screeched in horror over what she had just done to her baby! Dudley tried to scream but the cake was plastered on his face and he couldn't breathe. He was clawing at the cake trying to make a hole for air.

It seemed all three Dursley's got control of their voices at the same time as the noise level became unbearable and Harry covered his ears.

"I hate you, I hate you!" Dudley screeched at his pleading parents as he ran for the stairs. Both parents chased after him and Harry heard them bribing the spoiled boy with more gifts to come.

Harry would give anything to have a magical picture of the cake scene. How he would love to share that with the Weasley twins! Harry quietly made his way back down to the basement and made a bed out of a pile of Dudley's old clothes. Tomorrow would bring an answer to his search. He felt a slight ficker of hope at seeing his companion again.

As Harry was drifting off to sleep he wondered why Snape hadn't tried to find him. He tried not to be too disappointed with that thought but he was really hurt. He wished that Snape was here helping him get his owl back.

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Snape woke up to find himself on a hard cot in a cold room with bars on one side and a small window with bars on the other side. _Oh Merlin! I'm in jail._ He stood up too quickly and staggered back down to the cot again. He felt a large bump on the back of his head. The first thing he needed to do was to get Harry out of Dursley's home. He needed to talk with Dumbledore and get him to go get Harry. He stood again and looked around for a guard.

"Gaurd! Is anyone here!" Snape yelled out. The place was quiet, not even other inmates were there. He looked around again and realized he must be in the cells located under the Ministry of Magic Building. Oh yes, he'd been here before. The place had higher security then any other place he knew.

Snape sank back down to the cot and thought of what Harry must be going through right now. Severus had a panic in his heart at the thought of finding Harry in the same condition he was in on his last visit to the Dursley's._ I'll kill the bastard if he lays one hand on the boy!_ Snape thought of his future son and how he had misjudged him for so many years. He had always assumed Potter was just like his father but Snape came to realize that Harry was actually the least confident person he knew. Potter's uncle had changed a once self assured boy into a frightened boy, who had lost all confidence in himself. Snape had been hoping that Harry would gain some of it back but it seemed the boy had been more emotionally damaged than Snape knew. Snape knew they both had a long rode ahead of them if this relationship was going to work out._ There is no way I am letting go of the boy! He will be back to his old self again if it's the last thing I do!_

Suddenly he heard a door open down the hallway and the air became freezing cold.

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Harry woke up very early and made his way upstairs and out the front door. He snuck into Vernon's car and sat in the front passengers seat with his invisibility cloak over him. He stayed there for a good two hours before he saw Vernon waddle out to the car with Petunia running after him with his lunchbox.

Vernon sank down into the drivers seat and threw his lunch box towards Harry. Harry caught the box and placed it next to him on the seat. Luckily Vernon was preoccupied as he pulled out of the driveway and didn't see the way the lunchbox stopped midair and righted itself on the car seat. It took half an hour to reach Grunnings and park the car in the large lot. Vernon reached over and grabbed his lunch box. He had a peculiar look on his face as he lifted the box up. He pulled open the box and looked inside.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" The lunch box was empty. Harry covered his mouth with his hand to hold back his laughter once again. Vernon's entire lunch was cradled in Harry's lap! He had even taken out the thermos with the hot coffee.

"What's wrong with Petunia!" Vernon hissed as he threw the lunchbox into the back seat of the car.

Harry waited until Vernon was several feet away from the car before he opened his door and got out of the car. Harry cradled his uncle's lunch in his sweater and followed closely behind his Uncle. Harry's heart was hammering in his chest as he got closer to the front door. Vernon walked into the plant and punched his time card in the clock on the wall. Then he made his way to an office up a steep stairwell. Harry looked around the office and saw several pictures of Dudley smiling back at him. _Gross!_

Vernon looked as if he was going to sit down in the chair behind his desk but then suddenly changed his mind. Instead he walked to the back of the office and pulled out his keys. He unlocked a closet door and pulled on a chain in the closet and a light flickered on. Harry walked a little closer so he could see inside too. He didn't really even need to see her to know she was there. He could feel her as if she was sitting right next to him. Hedwig was there in the closet! _But why wasn't she making any noise?_ Harry tried to get a better look at her and walked around the desk to the other side of Uncle Vernon. Just as he moved around the desk his cloak caught on a folder sticking out and knocked over the pencil holder. Vernon whipped around looking at the pencil scattered across his office floor.

"Who's there!" he called in a panic.

He looked around and then turned back to the closet. Funny things had been happening lately. First the missing chicken, then the cake and now the pencil holder. Vernon began to feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up a bit. He should just get rid of this owl and be done with it. But what if the boy came back and he needed the owl to shut him up? He thought he better hang onto it at least until school started.

Harry froze and tried to quiet his thumping heart. The last thing he needed at this point was to get caught by Vernon. He watched asVernon suddenly slammed the closet door shut and turned around.

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Snape rose up from the cot with his blood running cold. _A Dementor? What was going on around here?_ He hadn't done anything so bad as to be sent to Azkaban. He needed to get a message to Dumbledore, he needed to get Harry away from the Dursley's before the boy was killed by his uncle.

The dementor didn't make any noise as he opened the jail cell door. Snape became so cold that he actually shivered. He didn't even care about that as long as he could get someone to realize that Harry was back with the Dursleys. He watched as the dementor stood back after opening the door. Snape could hear people walking down the long coridoor of cells towards him.Percy Weasleyand Stanton stopped in front of the door and looked at the Professor.

"So Professor, do you like your accommodations?"Stanton said with a slight chuckle at the end.

Snape continued to glare at both men without saying a word. He wanted to see what sort of game these men had up their sleeves.

"I think he may need a few more days to contemplate the error of his ways. What do you think Weasley?"

Percy tried not to look into the Potion Professor"s unforgiving eyes. Percy made a small sound and took a few steps back.

"You will not get away with this. I am giving you fair warning that you will pay for this," Snape said as he glowered at Stanton.

"Oh that's rich coming from a man locked up with a dementor as a room mate," Stanton laughed.

"You underestimate me. You will find that I have more experience than you in making a situation work to my benefit," Snape said in a dangerously low tone.

"I think you need to learn some manners Professor," Stanton sneered.

Those words sounded like they came from Vespa's mouth and Snape became even angrier at the man. He turned his attention to the timid man by the cell door.

"Weasley, how do you think your family will react when they find out you were partly at fault for sending Harry back to his Uncle? I'm sure your brothers will have some choice words for you, not to mention your Mother and Father."

Snape could see how the boy began to tremble.

"You, you kidnapped Harry, Professor. You can't just take someone without the proper procedure being followed," Percy stammered out.

"Professor Dumbledore himself secured the proper forms for my taking over gauridanship of Mr. Potter. This man you are now working for has been bribed by my Aunt and is trying to get Harry killed!"

Severus suddenly stopped talking as he was struck with a silencing spell.

Stanton grabbed hold of Percy's arm and pulled him out of the cell past the dementor.

"Don't listen to the death eater Weasley! His own family couldn't trust him."

They walked out of the jail and slammed the door at the end of the corridor, leaving Snape alone with the dementor.

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TBC

I am out of school and working on the next chapter. Review! Review!Give me some love (and reviews)and maybe the next chapter will be out before the New Year! HeeHee


	16. Chapter 16 Hedwig

Freakstar - you rock!

Question about the curse on Snape - When Vespa decided to adopt Charlet she cast the curse on Snape in the tea ( that was 8 years ago) she did it just in case Snape had any kids of his own or adopted any kids. That way Snape would kill his own kids and when he dies all of his estate would go to Charlet too. So when Snape started to **think** about adopting Harry the curse was activated and Snape began to get urges to kill him.

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Percy Weasley couldn't sleep that night. Every time he closed his eyes the sight of an abused Harry lying in a hospital bed popped into his mind. He liked Harry and his family thought of the boy as one of their own. He tossed again on his soft bed and thought about what Harry must be sleeping on right now. He had heard the rumor of the boy being made to sleep in a closet for most of his life. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind and tried to concentrate on the promotion he was promised by Sir Stanton. He didn't really like Sir Stanton but he did know the man had some serious connections in the ministry that could help him get promoted. After seeing Snape locked in his cell, Sir Stanton had offered a very coveted position within his own area of the ministry.

Now Percy wasn't sure he wanted to work with Stanton anymore and he certainly didn't fancy telling his parent's about the promotion. They had made their feelings very clear on how they felt about the man. Percy tossed again and thought of Snape's last words. Could Harry really be in that much danger? Percy had seen him in the hospital and knew the boy was keeping secrets. If his family found out about Snape's imprisonment and how he withheld it from Professor Dumbledore,he knew they would turn their backs on him forever. After another hour of tossing and turning Percy finally decided to let his father know about Snape's imprisonment. At least his conscious would be clear and he could leave Harry's well being to someone else.

He climbed out of bed and floo called his father, even though it was 2:00 am in the morning.

Arthur had been in a sound sleep when he heard the bell ring on his floo. _Who would be calling at this hour?_ He rushed over to the floo and saw Percy's head.

"Hello Father. I need to make this short and you can not tell anyone you heard it from me."

"Okay Son." Arthur knew it had something to do with Harry and held his breath in hopes of it being good news rather then bad.

"Snape is being held in the Ministry jail cells and Harry is back with the Dursley's." Percy said in a rush before he lost his nerve.

"What! Are those people crazy sending Harry back to his abusive family! When did the boy go back?"

"Yesterday. Apparently he went back on his own free will. Snape was out of the manor and Harry flooed back to Privet Dr."

This didn't make sense to Arthur. He knew the boy had been abused by those Muggles. Why would he go back?

"The Wizarding Child Protective Services say they cannot take him away from the Dursley's because Harry said the Dursley's didn't do anything to him when they interviewed him at the hospital."

"That boy needs some time to heal from all the abuse he suffered. He can't be held responsible for his own welfare until he's had time to come to terms with what happened to him. I'm afraid for him Percy."

"Don't worry Dad, the ministry will keep a close eye on him."

"Well, just to be sure I think I'll request to tag along on the next visit to the Dursley's. I'll feel a lot safer seeing Harry with my own eyes."

"Everything will work out Dad."

"Percy I'm proud of you." Arthur thought maybe the boy had hope yet.

Immediately after ending the call with Percy, Arthur called the Order members and they planned an emergency meeting .

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As soon as Dumbledore heard about Snape being in jail he immediately set the wheels in motion to have him released. He floo called Madame Bones and she had an emergency court hearing. Professor Dumbledore made sure to have Sir Stanton on a "very important meeting" he had arranged away from the ministry while the trial was taking place. By 10:00 am that morning Severus was a free man. But the court insisted that they could not take Harry away from his family without the boy's testimony of abuse.

Snape knew if he could just talk with the boy again he could convince him to tell about the abuse. The first thing Snape did was head back to his own home to make the potion and end the curse that Vespa had given him. He couldn't wait to get his hands on that conniving hag. He would make her pay for this curse.

The curse had truly surprised Professor Snape. He thought back to when it had started. According to the Dark Arts book that he read, the curse could be cast years before it actually started. Snape knew his curse started the moment he decided to adopt Harry. He hadn't even told Harry about the possibility of adoption and the curse had already begun. Snape figured that his aunt had cast the curse on him when she dicided to leave everything to Charlet eight years ago at that bizarre tea she hosted. The curse didn't effect him until he decided to adopt Harry. Vespa wanted to make sure that Charlet not only recieved Vespa's estate but also his own. With the curse in effect Vespa had counted on Snape killing Harry so Harry wouldn't inherit the estate.

As he entered the manor he saw several dishes and glass vases shattered , along with most of his precious books ripped and piled in a burning heap. He quickly pulled his wand out and put the fire out. Just as he was going to apparate for some back up help he heard a thumping sound coming from the cabinet by the front door. He opened the cabinet door slowly and was shocked to find Kinsey tied up and gagged. He quickly released her and she began crying out her story.

"That mean Vespa did this! She be a bad, bad lady Master. She be yelling at Kinsey and throwing Master's best books and dishes and tried to burn the house down! She be mad at Master Snape for coming back here." The elf took a breathe and started wringing her hands in distress.

"Is she still here Kinsey?" Snape said with hope and anger.

"No Master, she took that awful girl and they left a few minutes ago. I tell them 'No breaking Master's nice things!' But they no listen and hurt Kinsey."

"Kinsey you will be safe now. I need to go down to the laboratory but please let me know if Mr. Potter shows up."

"Ooh Master I is sorry I didn't watch Master Harry too goods. They took him down to the laboratory and then he be gone. I is so sorry Master," Kinsey said as she banged herself on the head for punishment.

"Kinsey stop that behavior this minute. I don't have time to deal with you," Snape said and turned towards the door leading to the lab.

This time he made sure to follow every direction perfectly as he made the antidote to the curse. It took nearly an hour to finish. He pulled the book out and started to chant the spell to take the curse off himself. The potion was worse then he remembered but he drank every last drop to ensure its effectiveness.

He stood in front of the mirror and once again cast the blue light to see if the curse had ended. The blue light started to spin at the top of his head slowly making its way down to the floor, never turning green.

It's over! Nowhe could get Harry back!

As fast as he could he apparated to Privet Drive and walked up to the front door with a nervous feeling.

Petunia answered the door, her face became stony cold as she saw the type of person standing before her. It was obvious from his dark robes that he was 'one of them'.

"What do you people want now! We already told you that we didn't harm the boy. He started a fight at the playground and later he fell down some stairs. Now get away before someone sees you!"

Snape could barely control his anger, "I need to talk with Mr. Potter."

"Harry's not here! We haven't seen him for weeks."

Snape pulled his wand out and pointed it at the hateful woman. Petunia tried to slam the door on the dark clothed man. Snape pushed the door open with his foot and entered the house still pointing the wand at the trembling woman.

"Legilimens!" he said and began to sift through her memory for thoughts with Harry in them.

_Harry you are an embarrassment to this family! Don't you dare tell anyone you know us. … Harry get over here and clean this kitchen and don't try and steal any food cause I'll know! … Don't you dare look at me with tears in your eye's! It's your fault Vernon had to punish you … You will not eat for three days for stealing food… Get back into that cupboard! No one wants you around…You ruined the dinner! Why did I ever take you in? I should of sent you to an orphanage the moment I saw you!_

Snape couldn't take anymore, he had gotten the information he needed anyway. Harry was not here, nor had she seen the boy since the last timehe had come to save the boy. His arm was shaking as he tried to hold back from cursing the woman. If he did anything rash he risked losing Harry for good and after seeing a glimpse of how the boy was treated he couldn't risk getting caught.

"What did you do to me! What did you do!" Petunia felt her arms and ran her hands up and down her body, checking for anything different on her.

The woman stumbled back and grabbed the phone, dialing as she looked at the menacing man.

"Vernon come quick! There's one of those freaks here and he's asking for Harry!"

Snape walked into the living room. He pulled his wand out and cast a spell so he would be alerted when or if Harry was ever to come back to the place.

Petunia gasped and looked ready to protest but seeing the look in the man's eyes, she just backed up into the kitchen to await the arrival of her husband.

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Harry hadn't a chance to look into the closet to see if Hedwig was okay. Uncle Vernon had received an emergency call and ran out the door. That was fine with Harry because it gave him a chance to try and pick the lock of thelocked door. He quickly looked around for anything to stick into the lock and wished like crazy that he had his wand.

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Vernon arrived at Privet Drive in record time and ran to the front door, throwing it open with a bang.

"Who the hell are you! Get the bloody hell out of my house before I call the police!" Vernon was panting from the effort of running.

Snape's hand was shaking as he held his wand so tight that his knuckles turned white._ Stay calm or you could end up in jail again. _He had to use his occlumency skills to push away the thought of Harry's injuries or he would lose control and kill the man standing before him.

"Where is Mr. Potter?" Snape was just holding onto a thread of control.

"That freak hasn't been here for weeks! Now get the bloody hell out of my house!"

"We know Harry came back here yesterday. Where is the boy!" Snape used his most menacing voice.

Snape raised his wand and pointed it at the man's large sweaty face, "Legilemens!"

_Boy, I'm going to teach you a lesson you will not soon forget! … Turn around boy and if I hear so much as a peep out of you, that bird will be floating in a bucket of water! Shut up and put your hands on the wall! … You cause nothing but problems boy! You know you deserved this. Your freak school let me know how you killed your Godfather … You better not bleed all over the floor or your aunt will be plenty mad … You're not going to tell anyone or that owl of yours will pay! You will take this punishment without so much as a sound ! _The cigarette ground down in the boy's hand.

Severus stopped the spell and staggered back against the wall. _Oh Merlin!_

Snape pushed his wand into his cloak and now knew that Dursley had not seen Harry for weeks. He watched as the oversized man acted just as the wife had and began to run his hands all over his large body, feeling for any extra appendages. With every last ounce of willpower Snape made his way to the front door and slammed it behind him.

He walked down the street to the apparition point and tried to calm himself along the way. The scenes he saw while he read the Dursley's minds would haunt him for a long time. Never again would he allow himself to belittle Harry. The poor boy had gotten nothing but belittling his entire life. No wonder Harry always apologized for every little thing. It was out of necessitity so he wouldn't get beaten. It was a wonder the boy could sleep at night. He was amazed that the boy wasn't a mass murderer after seeing the way he had been raised. The one scene that would haunt him forever was the last one. That hand being forced to open while the cigerette was held to it.

Snape had a lump in his throat and could barely swallow. His grief for this boy was overwhelming and a feeling he hadn't had in quite a long time for anyone. Snape needed to make sure Harry had the kind of home he deserved.He was in desperate need to talk with Dumbledore and confide all that he had seen. At least now he had been cleared of all charges and could go back to Hogwarts.

_Where are you Harry? Please don't let it be too late. _

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Vernon and Petunia were in a panic after the visit from another freak. Somehow this freak was much scarier then the others. Vernon began to wonder what the man meant by "We know Harry came back here yesterday". He started thinking about all the unusual things that had been happening. The missing chicken, the cake and the missing lunch.

The pencils falling to the floor unexplainably by themselves was what made Vernon realize that things were not right. He had blamed it on the owl but now he didn't think it was the owl after all. How was the boy doing all those things?

Vernon suddenly got an idea to see if Harry might be around, hiding somewhere. He said a quick goodbye to his wife and ran out the front door. There was one way to see if the boy was really around.

Vernon raced back to Grunnings and huffed up the winding stairs to his office. As he opened the door he noticed several misplaced items and his empty thermos of coffee on his desk. Something was not right and Vernon was determined to find out what it was. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it all had to do with his freak of a nephew. Vernon stormed over to the closet and unlocked the door. The bird sat still in the cage.

"Don't you make any sounds you lousy bird or that boy will pay a heavy price! You know what kind of punishment I'll give him." Vernon roughly grabbed the cage and threw his coat over it so he could take it to his car without anyone seeing it.He wasn't sure if the bloody bird could understand him but after the first time he told the bird he would hurt Harry if the bird didn't shut up the bird suddenly stopped making noises. Now every morninghe would come in and threaten to hurt Harry and the bird never made another sound.

Now Harry understood why Hedwig wasn't making any noise. Hedwig had been trying to protecthim the whole time! Harry's heart was heavy over the danger he had put yet another of his friends in. He quickly followed his Uncle and climbed into the car while his uncle was busy stowing Hedwig in the trunk. _What the hell is he doing with Hedwig? _Harry's heart was pounding in his chest as he began to think of the punishments his Uncle was able to inflict_. Please don't hurt her too!_

Vernon was mumbling some incoherent words about weird things happening all the back to Privet Drive. When they reached the house Vernon made his way to the back of the auto and pulled the cage out. Harry waited until Vernon was all the way inside the house before he opened the car door and went around to the back of the house. He snuck in through the backdoor and found his Aunt and Uncle in the front room with Hedwig in her cage on the coffee table.

"Okay boy, we know you're here! Come out come out wherever you are! Come out before your bird suffers the consequences!" Vernon shouted into the air.

Petunia was watching him with an odd look on her pinched face and then began looking around as well.

"Okay then we'll do this the hard way," Vernon said with a gleam in his eyes. He picked up a match from the mantel and lit it. He walked over to Hedwig and started to put the match down towards the filthy newspaper lining the birds cage.

"Petunia how does a little barbeque owl sound for dinner?" Vernon laughed, an evil sound emanating from his lips.

_Oh Merlin no! _Harry panicked and pulled the invisibility cloak from his head.

"Nooo!" He screamed as he ran towards the cage.

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	17. Chapter 17 Lessons

Vernon lit the match and headed towards Hedwig's cage. He began putting the match towards the filthy newspaper lining the owl's cage. 

Harry tore off the invisibility cloak and ran towards the owl yelling, "Nooo!"

Both Vernon and Petunia screamed out with surprise.

"Uncle Vernon, please don't hurt Hedwig. It's me who's been causing trouble, not her," Harry was having trouble speaking as he felt overwhelmed at seeing his owl again. Hedwig looked back at him but still remained quiet.

"You little bastard! I knew it was you causing all those accidents and stealing all that food! You will pay for your mistakes boy," Vernon growled out.

"I-I don't care what you do to me! Just let Hedwig go, PLEASE!" Harry said in a strangled voice. Just seeing Hedwig alive brought tears to Harry's eyes. He knew he wasn't allowed to cry and had a terrible time holding back.

"So it was you who ruined Dudley's special day? It was you who tripped me?" Petunia asked in a high pitched voice.

"I'm sorry Aunt Petunia. I just came back to save my owl. I don't want to cause you anymore trouble. Please can I just have my owl back and go?" Harry hoped with everything he had that they would agree to let him go back to Snape's. At this point he didn't even care if Snape locked him in his room for the rest of the summer. As long as he had Hedwig he would go anywhere the Professor said.

"Do you think we are just going to let you come into our home and cause all kinds of trouble and then just let you go?" Vernon said with a scowl on his face.

"Please Aunt Petunia, please don't let him punish me again. He took Hedwig away so I wouldn't tell and then he- he beat me," Harry whispered the last words.

"Harry you deserved to be punished. You have those awful freaky genes in your blood and you do bad things. Your Uncle is only doing what is best for you. You need to learn how to behave," Petunia s voice was getting higher as she continued talking. "You should try harder to be better."

Harry let those words sink in and began to start to believe that his aunt might be right. _But how, how do I change? I don't want to make people mad anymore._

Vernon was standing next to Hedwig and lifted her cage. "Boy you need to learn a lesson. I tried to teach it to you last time but you refuse to understand."

Vernon made his way upstairs carrying the bird cage.

"Come on boy, get up here," Vernon said in a curt tone.

Harry looked at Petunia again with a pleading look. Petunia looked down at her hands and shook her head. Harry walked up the stairs very slowly, dreading what was to come. As he reached the top of the staircase he heard Petunia scream from the living room. Both he and Vernon scrambled down the stairs to see what was wrong.

Standing in the living room was Arthur Weasley and Sir Stanton.

Arthur took one look at Harry and opened his arms wide to the boy. Harry couldn't help himself, he walked into those inviting arms and hugged his best friend's father.

Arthur turned his face towards Harry's hair and whispered, "Are you okay son? Have they hurt you?"

Harry was afraid if he said anything he might start crying so he just shook his head no and kept his face against Arthur's chest.

"What the bloody hell are you doing back here again? We haven't forgot what those redhead kids of yours did to my son." Vernon screamed as he remembered the time the Weasley boys gave Dudley the ton tongue candy.

"I am here on official ministry business. I am here to check on Harry and to make sure he is not harmed in any way by you," Arthur said as he glared at the red faced man. Arthur had been alerted by Professor Dumbledore a few minutes ago that the alarm went off and Harry was back here. Arthur intended to come alone and check on the boy but Stanton found out and made sure Arthur knew who was in charge of this case. Arthur knew the floo system must be bugged or else how would Stanton of known he was coming to Privet Dr?

He felt Harry tremble and pushed the boy back a little to see his face.

"Has he hurt you Harry?"

Harry thought of Hedwig up in his room and quietly said, "No Sir. I'm okay." He wanted to tell Mr. Weasley everything but didn't trust that he would be able to leave right away with Hedwig. If Mr. Weasley left without him then Harry would suffer the consequences for whatever he revealed.

Sir Stanton watched the scene before him. He was still upset that Weasley had tagged along on this official visit. Luckily the boy didn't say that his Uncle was harming him. Now there was no way the boy would be removed from his family and that was good for Sir Stanton. The farther the boy was from Snape the better. Vespa made it clear to him that under no circumstances was Harry to be returned to the Professor. Stanton was making a fortune on this case and he wasn't about to mess it up now. He would follow Vespa's plan no matter what he had to do to make it work.

"Hello, I am Sir Stanton and I will be coming for twice weekly visits to speak with Mr. Potter, until his new term begins at Hogwarts," Stanton said to the Dursley's.

"Bloody hell! You mean we have to put up with you freaks every week?" Vernon did not like being monitored like this. Now he would have to be extra careful not to leave marks on the boy's face.

"Well Sir, it is only for three more weeks. Do you have any objections to having the boy speak with Ministry officials?" Stanton didn't really care for these visits either but at least he would be able to set Vespa's new plan into action before the boy was returned to school.

"I'm not trying to hide anything, if that's what you're saying! We have a decent, normal family," Vernon said with pride. "I mean, other than the boy."

"Dursley if you lay one finger on Harry, you will live to regret it! I will personally make sure you suffer and this time it will be permanent!" Arthur tried to hold back his anger, but the statement about Harry not being normal really set him off.

"Arthur I don't believe the ministry would appreciate you threatening Mr. Potter's family. I'm not so sure the ministry would approve of those scare tactics," Stanton would have to get the ministry to ban Mr. Weasley from coming on these visits if Vespa's plan was to work. Luckily Weasley was doing all the work for him by threatening the Dursley's so blatantly.

Arthur glared at Stanton as he gave Harry a slight squeeze when the boy hugged him harder.

Vernon was sick of seeing his nephew acting like a baby and hanging onto someone.

"Boy get over here!" Vernon said as he grabbed hold of Harry's shoulder and pulled him next to him.

Harry stumbled over to his Uncle and looked down miserably at his feet. If only he could get Hedwig out, then he would be able to leave too. He would give anything to be able to go home with Mr. Weasley.

Arthur was angry at Dursley and even more angry at Stanton. The nerve of the man talking to him like that in front of the Dursley's. He looked over at Harry and his heart tightened up at seeing the boy looking so miserable.

"Well that will be all for now. I will be back in three days to speak with Mr. Potter again. Good day to you. Are you coming Arthur?" Sir Stanton said as he threw floo powder into the fireplace and stepped in.

Arthur hesitated then said, "Harry we will be keeping a close eye on you. You can always write to me if you need anything, anything at all." He took a last look at the boy, who was still looking down at his shoes, then flooed back to the ministry with a heavy heart.

As soon as the men left, Vernon grabbed Harry by the back of his sweater and hauled him up to the boy's room. He shut the bedroom door and Petunia didn't hear another sound.

A short while later Vernon came down the stairs with a sweaty red face and his sleeves rolled up. He plopped down on the sofa and turned on the telly. Petunia went into the kitchen to begin dinner.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Severus was back at Hogwarts and was awaiting the arrival of Arthur Weasley in the head masters office. It was some consolation to know that Arthur would see how Harry was doing. Snape had already received an official letter from the ministry after his visit to the Dursley's yesterday. It left no room for question that if Snape set one foot in Little Whinging again he would be sitting in jail for a long time. He knew how highly Arthur and his family regarded Harry and knew that if anything were wrong, Arthur would know.

A few minutes later Arthur flooed into Dumbledore's office with a sad look on his face.

"Well I saw him, he is indeed at the Dursley's," Arthur took a deep breath and continued. "He said he hadn't been harmed and didn't show any signs of being hurt. The only thing was ..."

"Yes, what?" Snape said anxiously.

"Well, he just seemed so sad. He hugged me and it seemed as if he didn't want to let go. Believe me that is **not** like the Harry I know. The only reason he finally let go is because that horrid Uncle of his made him."

Snape knew that Harry had changed profoundly in a short period of time and could almost picture the scene Arthur described. He found that most disturbing but knew he would be back in jail if he went to check on the boy.

Snape knew that the only way to fix this was to get Harry to talk about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his uncle. Once Dursley was accused then Snape could once again begin the adoption proceedings. Three weeks, three terrible long weeks wondering exactly what was happening to the boy who would be his son one day. Snape couldn't think of a worse punishment to have to endure, except the one that Harry was now living.

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Three days later a very properly muggle dressed Sir Stanton arrived at the Dursley's home. Petunia could almost tolerate the man due to his fine clothes and good manners. She went upstairs to get her nephew. She unlocked all the heavy bolts on his door and peeked inside. She saw the boy sitting on his bed, looking down at his hands. "Harry you are wanted downstairs by Sir Stanton. Come quickly we do not want to keep him waiting."

Harry didn't look at his aunt as he passed her. He walked into the living room and stood behind a chair facing Sir Stanton. The gentleman looked up and instructed him to take a seat. Sir Stanton took out his wand and flicked it in front of Harry. Suddenly a steaming cup of tea appeared.

"Please drink the tea Harry." It was said more like a command.

Harry slowly brought the cup to his lips and took a small sip. It tasted mildly sweet with a hint of berry. It was actually pretty good and since Harry hadn't eaten in days it felt good in his empty stomach.

"Now, tell me how you are doing with your family?" Sir Stanton said.

"Erm, fine."

"Good, good. You know sometimes parents have to punish their children to teach them a better way of behaving." Sir Stanton let that sink in before he said, "Your aunt and uncle have sacrificed a lot to keep you safe you know. They are not really all that bad, are they son?"

Harry didn't know what to say. He was more confused now then ever before. His head started to spin a little and his mouth was dry. He quickly grabbed the cup and took a few more sips until the tea was gone.

Sir Stanton suddenly stood up and said, "Well I'm glad you are fine Harry. I'll see you in three days." It only took a moment for him to floo back to the ministry.

Harry continued sitting in the chair and waited for his head to stop spinning. _Why did Sir Stanton leave so quickly? He didn't even ask about the Dursley's._ He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there but his Aunt came in and told him to get back up to his room before his Uncle came home.

He walked shakily into his bedroom and felt a bit of panic rise when he heard his Aunt lock him in.

And so this is how the last two weeks of Harry's summer went. He had actually started to look forward to the visits from Sir Stanton and the sweet cup of tea. Sometimes he would take tiny sips of tea to make the visit last longer, knowing that the moment he finished Sir Stanton would leave. It was odd how Sir Stanton always insisted he drink the tea and he was never allowed to leave a drop.

It seemed that his stomach stopped tolerating food altogether and the dizzy spells became more frequent. He was actually glad to be in his room so much because every time he was made to do chores or come down to eat, his stomach would feel even worse. His Uncle must of noticed that something wasn't right because Harry's "lessons" were more infrequent. Harry figured he probably didn't want to catch whatever sickness he had. It must be a muggle flu bug or something.

The night before Harry was to leave to go back to Hogwarts, Uncle Vernon gave him a last lesson. Vernon rolled up his sleeves as he walked upstairs and quietly went into Harry's room, shutting the door firmly behind him.  
Twenty minutes later Vernon came out with sweat soaking through his shirt. He decided he would take a nice cool shower before supper.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The train station was abuzz with excited students heading back to Hogwarts. The Weasley's and Hermione were especially excited to see their best friend. They hadn't seen Harry or heard from him all summer long. Arthur was especially anxious as he had been banned from seeing Harry at his relatives after Arthur had stupidly made that threat to Vernon. The family stood by the train until the last minute when they were forced to board. Ron and Hermione had protested boarding without Harry but finally relented when the Weasley parents said they would go check on Harry.

Just as the last whistle blew, a haggard thin Harry boarded the train. He struggled to get his trunk on board until two Hufflepuffs helped to lift it on as the train pulled away. Harry was exhausted from the effort. He thanked them, then slowly made his way down the coaches until he spotted Hermione, Ginny and Ron. He opened the coach door and at first the three just looked at him. Hardly recognizing who it was. Suddenly Ginny stood up and yelled "Harry! We've been waiting for you," and threw her arms around the thin boy.

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks of horror but quickly masked them and got up to give Harry a hug too. Harry was so happy to be back with his friends but had to hide his look of utter pain at each hug he was given.

"Bloody hell Harry you look like something Crookshanks dragged in!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione hit Ron hard on the leg just as Ginny punched him in the arm. Harry sank further into his seat and tried to smooth his hair down a little. He hadn't really looked at himself in the mirror for a few weeks so he had no idea how sick and tired he looked.

"Shut it Ronald!" hissed Hermione.

"Harry you look fine, don't listen to Ron," Ginny said, "He's just jealous because he didn't get his picture in Witch Teen Magazine."

Harry looked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Ginny riffled through her book bag and pulled a copy of the magical magazine out for everyone to see. Sure enough there was a picture of The Boy Who Lived on the cover. Harry must have just finished up a Quiddich game because he had a smudge of dirt on his face and he was holding up the snitch and waving it around with a big smile.

Ginny turned the pages of the dog-eared magazine to the article written about Harry. The article was about how no one believed that He Who Must Not Be Named was back and how Harry was so great in helping to fight him. It mentioned the rumor of Harry's muggle relatives abusing him and how the ministry helped him. Harry groaned when he read that bit.

"That's a bunch of rubbish," Hermione exclaimed as she continued reading. "Well at least they have good pictures of you Harry." She said to try and make Harry feel better.

Harry looked at that picture on the cover again and felt like that was a life time ago. He couldn't even remember being that carefree and happy. His stomach began to hurt again and he just wanted to sleep.

He leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes. After a few minutes when his friends knew he was sleeping they began to voice their concerns for him.

"Oh Merlin, what happened to him? He's so thin and pale," Ginny said as she pulled her cloak out and covered Harry with it.

"It was worse then your father said it was. He looks like he hasn't eaten for days and those dark circles under his eyes are a bit scary," Hermione said with concern in her voice.

"Do you think they. hurt him?" Ron asked.

"I don't see any signs of it but that doesn't mean he's not trying to hide it. You know how Harry is," Hermione said as she fixed Harry's broken glasses for him.

The three friends watched over Harry with more concern for their friend then ever before. When two third year girls asked if they could take a picture of the sleeping hero, all three of them gave a quick, "No!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Severus Snape had a hard time concentrating on getting his lesson ready. The students would be here in less then an hour and he was on edge. He hadn't been able to contact Harry since the boy left the manor and Severus was afraid the boy still had the wrong idea about the adoption when he left. After living these past weeks with a sick feeling whenever he thought of Harry at the Dursley's, Severus was more sure then ever before that he wanted to adopt the boy. Now he just needed to make Harry understand that.

Severus had redecorated the spare room in his dungeon and even went so far as to put a Gryffindor banner in Harry's private bathroom. _What is wrong with me? I am really going soft!_ He had brought along all of Harry's new clothes and even went to the Quiddich store and bought the boy a new broom as a surprise. Severus wasn't sure how to make it up to Harry but knew the boy hadn't recieved many gifts in his life and thought that was a good place to start.

_What if he doesn't want anything to do with me? Then what a fool I've been to even hope for another chance._ In truth Snape wouldn't blame the boy for rejecting his offer of adoption. As far as the boy knew, Snape had thrown him into a glass coffee table, threw a dementor at him and left him with a deranged old lady who sent him back to the Dursley's.

Dumbledore came into his classroom and said, "Severus he's on the train. Do you want to go down and meet it?"

Snape shook his head and said, " No, let's just let him have a little space. I don't want him forced into anything. You know what has to happen to make this adoption go through. I'm just not sure Harry will be ready to talk about everything yet. We all need to give him a little time."

"Yes, I agree with you Severus. Just remember that Harry will need someone to help him get to that point. Don't give the boy too much room."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the train pulled into Hogsmeade station Harry began to stir a little. His three friends had watched him sleep the entire length of the trip. It seemed Harry was exhausted and didn't even want to eat during the train ride.

"Harry, we're here," Hermione said as she gave him a little shake on the shoulder.

Harry's eyes flew open and he pushed further back in his seat.

"Sorry Harry, I didn't mean to scare you. Um, we're here," Hermione said as she watched him with concern.

"Oh, thanks," Harry mumbled with embarrassment.

They all grabbed their things and headed for the horseless carriage. Harry forgot his tie on the seat and went back to get it after telling his friends to save him a seat on the carriage. As Harry slung the tie around his neck he stepped down from the train and ran smack into Malfoy and Crabbe.

"Don't you dare touch me you freak!" Malfoy snarled. He had no idea but he had called Harry a word that struck Harry to the core of his being. All his life he had been called freak' and the word had become very powerful.

"Oh, um I didn't mean to do that," Harry stammered out.

Malfoy could sense that Harry was not the same confident person he had been last year, just by the way Harry stepped back and looked down at his feet instead of making a sharp comeback.

"What's wrong with you Potter! You need me to call your Uncle to keep you in line!" Malfoy laughed along with all the other Slytherins watching.

Harry's face burned with embarrassment as he tried to walk around the group of boys.

"Where you going Potter!" Malfoy said as he pushed Harry back against the train. Harry pushed down the panic building inside him and tried once again to walk around the Slytherins. Crabbe grabbed him by the back of his cloak and pulled him back.

"Afraid you'll get beaten up again Potter! Crabbe taunted him still not letting go of the cloak.

Harry grabbed his wand from his pants pocket and twisted around to face Crabbe. He pointed his wand in Crabbe's flabby face. "Back off Crabbe before you end up regretting it," Harry said in a low growl.

Crabbe would of backed off after seeing the look of anger in Harry's eyes but he didn't want to seem scared in front of his friends. He pushed Harry back against the train with his open hand and brought his own wand up into Harry's face.

Harry and Crabbe were just about to hex each other when Professor McGonagall ran up to them.

"Okay Gentlemen wands down before you start the new school year in detention! I'm surprised at you both!"

"Mr. Crabbe you may go," She watched as Crabbe walked away with his friends clapping him on the back.

"Mr. Potter are you hurt?" Harry shook his head no.

McGonagall looked at the tired boy's pale face and sunken eyes rimmed with black circles. She could see that quite a few other students had stopped to watch her and didn't want to embarrass Harry anymore then he already seemed to be.

"Alright, everyone let's get on the carriages and get to dinner. Move along, move along." she said after giving Harry another look of sympathy.

_Oh Merlin, is this what I have to put up with all year long? I hate it when people look at me like that._

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Snape waited at the teacher's table as the students began to file into the Great Hall. He watched carefully for the raven haired boy. Professor McGonagall came and sat next to him.

"Severus I think you should know that some of the Slytherin's have already picked out Mr. Potter as a target and were taunting him about his recent situation with his family. I had the unfortunate duty of having to stop them from hexing each other."

"Is Harry okay?" Snape quickly asked.

"Oh, I got there before anything happened but I saw Harry close up and he looks rather worse for wear. I believe his family is responsible for that though."

"What are you talking about?" Snape spotted Weasley first as he stood on one side of Harry and Granger flanked his other side. Harry was looking down at his shoes as he walked so Snape couldn't get a good look at his face. The boy did look paler and thinner though and that was instant cause for concern. He watched as the boy sat down and several students began to point at him. Snape couldn't tell what they were saying but could tell from Harry's reaction that he didn't like the extra attention.

Harry could hear his name being said and could feel everyone staring at him. Hermione tried to take his attention away from that and started talking about her summer in France. Harry tried to concentrate on what she was saying but his stomach was once again not cooperating. He knew the moment he smelled food he would want to vomit. His head started to spin and he held onto the table with a white knuckle grip.

Snape watched as the boy clutched the table and closed his eyes. Snape stood up and wanted to help the boy but had to hold himself back and let events unfold before him. He reluctently sat back down.

Harry couldn't stand the whispers and pointing any longer. He slowly stood up as his head continued to spin and told his friends he would be right back. He made his way to the doors of the Great Hall and out to the main lobby. He had forgotten that all the first years were out there waiting to come in for the sorting ceremony.

"Oh Merlin! It's Harry Potter!"

"No way! Are you really Harry Potter?"

"It's Harry Potter! Harry Potter!"

"Oooh Harry could I take a picture of you?"

Hagrid stepped towards him and wrapped a big arm around his shoulder.

"This, my new friends is non other than Harry Potter! He's our local hero, he is!" Hagrid gave Harry a big pat on the back, making Harry wince with pain. Harry wished he could apparate away from the looks of awe the younger students were giving him.

"Erm hi. Um Hagrid I need to go to my room for something so um I'll see you all later," Harry stammered out as he began to step back towards the staircase.

Harry began the long climb up the many stairs to Gryffindor Tower. He had only made it up one flight of stairs before he had to turn and sit down on the top step. He dropped his head into his hands and waited for the spinning to stop.

He looked up as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Harry are you coming back?" Ginny asked with concern.

"No, I just don't feel like eating right now," Harry said in a quiet voice.

Do you want to go up to Gryffindor Tower and sit by the fire for a bit?" Ginny asked with concern.

"I don't want you to miss the feast. Why don't you go back and I'll see you later?"

Ginny was not about to leave Harry by himself, looking like he did. "It's okay, I don't want to eat anyway and sitting by the fire sounds kinda nice."

Harry stood up and slowly made his way up the many staircases to the tower. By the time he was up there he could barely stand and his stomach was protesting in an awful way.

Ginny watched as he walked unsteadily over to the sofa in front of the fire. Harry sunk down next to her and dropped his head back against the sofa. Ginny slid closer to him and began talking about the happenings at the burrow over the summer. Harry was feeling relaxed by her soft voice and soon fell asleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Happy New Year!


	18. Chapter 18 Gifts

Chapter 18 - Gifts

The next morning Harry was sitting at breakfast with his friends and reading over his new schedule. He hadn't seen it yet because his Uncle had made arrangements with Sir Stanton to stop any owls from coming to Privet Dr. Much to his dismay he discovered that he had double potions first thing this morning. He didn't know how he felt about Snape anymore, he was really confused about his whole relationship with him. He did know that he didn't want to have to sit in his classroom for three hours though.

"Harry you haven't eaten anything yet and I know you don't want to be late for your first class," Hermione admonished.

Harry grabbed a piece of toast and took a few bites until Hermione stopped looking at him. Then he set the bread back down on the table. His stomach was so sore lately that he couldn't think about eating more than a few bites at a time. He knew he should go see Madame Pomfrey but didn't want her to see all the cuts and bruises on his back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Snape was in his office collecting all the items he would need for the first class. He knew Harry would be there and he could finally get a good look at the boy. He still wasn't sure what the reaction would be from the Gryffindor when he saw him today.

Snape took a deep breath and swept into the classroom with his usual scowl plastered on his face. He looked around and spotted Harry sitting at the back of the room looking down at his hands.

"Today we will be working on the invisibility potion," Snape said as he watched Harry's head shoot up and stare at him. It took everything Snape had to remain calm after seeing the boy's face for the first time since he returned from the Dursleys. He was shocked at the dark circles and pale skin, not to mention the weight loss as well.

"It is usually illegal for students to attempt this potion but I have received special clearance for you to make it. Suffice it to say, there-will- not-be-any-mistakes-made!" He said the last in very clipped tones while he looked at Longbottom. He was still amazed the idiot boy had scored well enough on his owls to make it into advanced potions.

He looked back over at Harry and the teen quickly looked away. What pained Snape most to see was the look in the boy's eyes. Those eyes had reflected all the pain he must have gone through at the hands of his Uncle. Maybe other people couldn't see it because they hadn't looked into Vernon's memories but he saw it clear as day.

"In your books you will find a simple potion for making warts disappear. We will add several new ingredients to this and it will become the invisibility potion. Open your books to page 286." Snape began walking through the rows of tables and stopped before Harry's.

"Where is your book, Mr. Potter?" Snape stepped closer and watched the boy run a finger along the inside of his frayed shirt collar.

"Erm, I-I don't have my books yet sir," Harry quietly answered, not making eye contact with the Professor.

"Hmm, well I have an extra book you could borrow for today. Do you have plans to get your supplies anytime soon?"

Harry shook his head. A few Slytherins at the next table snickered and Harry looked at his hands once more. He had totally forgotten about getting his supplies until he was on the train. Not that the Dursley's would of taken him anyway.

"See me in my office after your last class and we will take care of that," Snape turned on his heel and glared at the students who had snickered at Harry.

Malfoy grabbed a handful of scalefish eggs and threw them at Harry. Harry flicked his wand just in time and cast a repelling shield. The fish eggs hit the shield and bounced back hitting Malfoy in the face. Snape whipped around just in time to see the Slytherin covered in fish eggs and Harry looking guilty. He quickly assessed the scene before him and turned back around ignoring the incident completely. He knew Harry could take care of himself against Malfoy and he didn't want to come across as impartial to either boy.

Malfoy grabbed his wand and Harry clutched his tighter. Both boys hissed out spells at the same time. Malfoy was hit and immediately covered in bogeys. Harry had been hit with a body blasting spell in the ribs and flew sideways smacking his head into the table next to him. Harry scrambled up just as Snape came storming back to their tables.

"What just occurred, Mr. Potter?" Snape glared from one boy to the next.

"Nothing Sir, I just slipped off my chair," Harry said as he rubbed the stinging spot on his side.

Snape looked at Malfoy covered in fish eggs and goo and back at Harry. He saw a cut above Harry's eye bleeding down the boy's face and said, "Potter get over to the infirmary."

Harry panicked at the thought of Poppy finding out about his cuts and bruises and pushed his fingers against the cut to stop the blood flow.

"Sir, can't you just fix it? I-I don't want to miss out on this potion."

"Fine, but if this childish behaviour does not cease you will both be hand washing the cauldrons all month long. Do I make myself clear?"

Harry nodded and quietly said, "Yes sir." Malfoy gave the professor a smirk and rolled his eyes.

Snape came back a moment later with a cloth and healing balm. He roughly grabbed Harry's hair and tilted the boy's head back and wiped away the blood. Harry's eyes darted up looking straight into the professor's eyes. Snape froze.

He didn't mean for it to happen but suddenly he found himself probing Harry's thoughts and saw a flash of Dursley coming at Harry with a knife. He suddenly stepped back releasing the boy and watched as Harry grabbed hold of the table for balance.

Harry knew something just took place between himself and the professor but wasn't certain as to what it was.

Snape composed himself and pushed down his anger at Dursley so Harry wouldn't think he was angry at him instead. He stepped towards the boy once again but couldn't shake the thought of Dursley and the knife.

Harry looked at the professor with confusion and a bit of fear and mumbled out, "It's okay Professor, I can do the rest." Harry stuck his finger in the healing balm and wiped it over the cut. The cut stopped bleeding and slowly began to heal. He capped the healing balm and handed it back to the Professor.

Snape took it and said, "I'll see you after classes Mr. Potter." He quickly turned and strode away so Harry wouldn't see his hands shaking.

Harry didn't know what to think. He felt nervous knowing that he would be spending so much time with the professor and would have to hide all that had happened to him since he last saw him. But he actually looked forward to being with the Professor again. Whenever he was with Snape he didn't feel like he was so alone in the world. The Professor actually watched out for him and made him feel like he had a parent, even if it was just temporary, it would still feel nice.

The rest of the day went alright. Several students wanted him to autograph the recent article in Witch Teen Magazine and unless Ron or Hermione were there to tell them no, then Harry just gave it to them. He hated it and felt really stupid doing it but didn't know how to tell them no. Every once in a while he would hear people whisper about what he went through this summer. That picture of him in the hospital after Snape saved him had been published, so there wasn't any chance of him denying what happened to him, not that he would admit to it either.

His teachers all gave him 'that look' of pity he hated and he tried to sit in the back for all his classes. The teacher he hated seeing more than any other was McGonagall. She always gave him 'the look' and it really started getting on Harry's nerves. It made him feel more self conscience and guilty over what had happened to him this past summer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After his last class Ron and Hermione walked him down to Snape's office in the dungeons. They were asking Harry about his stay at Snape Manor over the summer. They were surprised to hear about how Snape decorated Harry's room for him in Gryffindor colors. Hermione began to feel a little less uncomfortable about Harry going into town alone with the Professor. Maybe Snape really did care for Harry, as Mrs. Weasley assured her he had this past summer.

"Well Harry, it sounds like Professor Snape has really changed," Hermione said with encouragement.

"Yeah and he actually bought you all that stuff? He doesn't sound like the same greasy git from last year, although he certainly looks like the same greasy git," Ron said with a laugh.

"Ron he's not the same and you know something? Neither am I. I didn't ask for all this to happen, it just did," Harry didn't know how he was feeling about Professor Snape anymore but he didn't want to hear his best friend trash him after all Snape had done this past summer.

Ron's face turned slightly red and he said, "Its okay Harry, I didn't mean anything by it."

"Well then don't say it anymore," Harry said with anger. During the summer he had really looked forward to the adoption taking place and just because Snape changed his mind didn't mean that Harry lost all his feelings for the teacher.

When they reached Professor Snape's office door, Ron and Hermione said good bye and began to leave. Snape's door opened and they all looked up at the Professor.

"Thank you for escorting Mr. Potter," Snape said sincerely with a quick look at Harry. The last thing he wanted was for Harry to be walking around the dungeons by himself. Snape knew the Slytherins better than anyone and didn't trust them, especially after what Minerva told him yesterday.

Ron and Hermione just stared at the Professor, very surprised that he had actually thanked them.

Hermione snapped out of it first and said, "Your welcome. Harry is very special to us and … we don't want him to be hurt... in _any _way." Hermione said it very pointedly as she looked the professor in the eye.

The look was not lost on Snape, he knew exactly what the girl was saying to him. She really meant that comment for him and was telling him that Harry's friends would be watching him. _Hmm, Bravo! _He would have to figure out a way to award Gryffindor ten points for bravery.

Snape lead Harry into his office and closed the door. Harry kept his back to the professor and stood next to the desk. Snape came and stood next to him, not sure what to say.

"So how was the train ride?" Snape asked watching as the young Gryffindor continued to look down.

"Okay I guess."

"I heard there was an incident with Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Crabbe. Do you wish to discuss that?"

Harry shook his head. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about that.

"Harry, I want to hear what happened from you," Snape said in a firm tone.

"I guess I bumped into Malfoy and he just started saying stuff and Crabbe joined along as usual."

"It would be to your advantage to ignore them in the future and not succumb to their inanity."

"Well, that sounds brilliant, but it hardly works when your being forced to stay."

"Forced?"

Harry shrugged . "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me Mr. Potter. I think you've been through enough without having to deal with idiotic people who use force to get their way. I'll speak to them when we get back."

"No! I-I mean please don't. I can take care of it myself and Malfoy and Crabbe will just tell everyone what you did. So please don't, okay sir?"

Snape placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry stiffened and his heart raced.

"Calm down Potter, I'm not going to hurt you again."

"I know," Harry whispered.

"Do you? Do you really know that and believe it?" Snape wanted to make sure Harry wasn't frightened of him.

"Um, yes sir, I guess I do," Harry said still a little unsure.

"Don't worry Harry, I'll make sure you actually believe that someday. Now let's get some shopping done shall we?"

"You-you don't have to do this. I-I can ask Hagrid to take me this weekend," Harry said quietly still looking down and standing stiffly.

"No, I told you once before that you are now my responsibility and I will provide you with your necessities. Suffice it to say I still remain your legal guardian, at least in the Wizarding World that is."

"But … I-I thought you didn't, you know … want me anymore," Harry said quietly.

Snape grabbed the boy's shoulders and spun him around so they were facing each other. Harry tried to pull away and had a look of utter terror in his eyes. Snape quickly took a few steps back letting go of the boy's shoulders.

_Oh Merlin, I have got to take this slow! The boy has been damaged worse then the last time. _Snape sat down and looked up at Harry until the boy finally looked into the Professor's eyes.

"I won't hurt you. You must trust that I will not hurt you. I know I did in the past but I was under a terrible curse inflicted by my Aunt . The curse is gone now and I will make a promise to you that I will not hurt you ever again," Severus said as he placed a hand on his heart while he looked into Harry's eyes.

Harry wanted to believe him more than anything else in this world but he had heard those words come out of the Professor's mouth before and then been hurt again. Harry stepped back away from the Professor and made his way to the door.

"I'm sorry Professor, I've heard that from you before and it isn't true. I know you want it to be true but it isn't. The truth of the matter is that Uncle Vernon said there was something evil inside me since the day I was born. At first I didn't believe him but then I thought of everything and you know it all started to make sense. So don't worry, it's not your fault or anything, it's just that… I don't want the adoption anymore either."

Harry said all this with such conviction that it took the Professor a moment to realize the boy truly believed it. His heart sank. The Professor stood up and took a few steps towards Harry. He stopped when he saw the boy step back too. _What do I say, how do I fix this?_

"Your Uncle is a terrible excuse for a parent and you shouldn't believe a word that comes out of his foul mouth. As far as there being something evil inside you, that is the most horrendous thing I can imagine telling a child. It is not true Mr. Potter!" Snape said a little too vehemently as Harry grabbed for the door knob.

"You can think whatever you want sir but Uncle Vernon is the only person ever to be truthful with me. He may be terrible as you say but he is trying to teach me to be better," Harry said as he turned the knob and walked out into the hallway.

Snape went after him, "Potter come back here now!"

Harry immediately stopped and turned back to face the Professor.

"You cannot walk away from here with those lies plaguing your mind. I won't stand for it!" Snape was so angry at the mental abuse the child had been put through. How could a person who did nothing but sacrifice himself have those thoughts running through his mind.

Harry continued to stand in front of the professor. Back at home he would have to be 'excused' before walking away from his Uncle so he didn't even try to leave. He felt like he might vomit at any moment and was hoping it wouldn't happen in the dungeons with nothing but Slytherins watching now.

Snape watched as the boy looked down at his shoes again. "Look at me when I am addressing you Mr. Potter. You must stop looking down all the time!"

Harry looked up into the Professor's angry glare. _Oh no. Its happening again, just like Uncle Vernon said it would._

A handful of the Slytherins stopped to watch. Snape didn't notice as he was watching the boy so intently.

"I do not know how we are going to undo the damage that has been done to you but I will not stand for you to have those thoughts. Your uncle is no better than Voldemort and you have no business listening to his advice," Snape said as he tried to control his voice.

Harry looked around at the Slytherin's watching, now completely humiliated. "Professor could I please be excused?"

Snape suddenly realized they were not alone and berated himself for saying anything in front of others.

"Yes, you may go Harry."

Harry heard snickers from the bystanders as he ran up the stairs. He headed to his dorm and flung himself into the washroom just in time before he lost the little food that was in him. He sat on the bathroom floor with his face in his hands as a few tears escaped his eyes. It had hurt so much to say that he didn't want to be adopted any longer. He knew that everyone he got close to would eventually get hurt or die. The curse that Vespa gave Snape was just the beginning of bad things to come for the professor if he continued with the adoption. Harry knew that Voldemort was angry at Snape and the Ministry didn't seem too happy with him either. The last thing he wanted to do was to put the Professor into more danger.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After a fitful rough night Harry woke up to the guys yelling and cheering about something. Harry opened the curtain on his bed and looked out at all his friends surrounding something on the table.

"What's going on?" He asked Ron.

"Harry get over here quick! Look! The card says your name on it!" Ron yelled enthusiastically.

Harry jumped out of bed and headed over to the table. Laying on top was a brand new Firebolt 5000! He quickly grabbed for the card and read it to himself.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Please be ready to leave at noon today. We will be going to Diagon Alley for your much needed supplies. _

_Snape_

_Do not worry about missed classes, I have already spoken with your teachers._

Harry had a lump in his throat and he was feeling overwhelmed. He had thought after last nights conversation that Snape would give up this whole adoption idea and just forget about last summer. He was so torn between doing the right thing and ending this adoption or doing something that would change his own life for the better, at the cost of hurting someone else.

He went to his trunk to get his clothes and discovered all the new clothes Snape had bought him over the summer laying inside. All of his old clothes were gone and there was another note from Snape.

_Harry,_

_I purchased more pajamas for you. Please do not give them to the house elves._

_Severus_

Harry laughed at that and got dressed in his handmade uniform that was a now a few sizes too big. Ron took one look at him and whistled.

"Is that Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy in those fine clothes," Ron teased.

"Shut it Ron," Harry smiled.

"Another gift from the Professor?" Ron asked a little too caustically.

"Yeah, I guess he got tired of seeing me in hand me downs," Harry said but seeing the look of pain on Ron's face made him wish he hadn't said that. Ron always wore hand me downs and had hardly ever got something that hadn't once been worn by one of his brothers. _Oops!_

Harry made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast but didn't touch a thing when he got there. His stomach was once again acting up. Unbeknownst to him Professor Snape was watching him as he pretended to eat.

He didn't know how he made it through his morning classes because his stomach was doing somersaults and his head was spinning the entire time. Whatever flu bug this was he hoped it would end soon. Every time he thought of Severus he would feel a slight panic arise. How was he ever going hide his injuries from the man?

At 12:00, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville were sitting on the grass in front of the castle talking about Professor Flitwick's assignment. Suddenly a dark shadow was cast across the group.

"So Mr. Potter are you ready for a day in Diagon Alley?" Snape said as he watched the expressions on the group of teens before him. Longbottom had a look of terror while Grainger looked up approvingly.

"Erm, Professor?" Harry asked as he gathered his cloak and tie off the grass and stood up.

"Yes Mr. Potter?"

"I just wanted to thank you for the Firebolt. You didn't have to get me that and I know it was all my fault that I broke the last one and I really don't deserve a new one. It costs way too much and after what I did I don't think I should have it," Harry said in a rush with true sincerity.

"Mr. Potter, I will decide how I spend **my** money and I will decide what gifts you are worthy of. Do not question my judgment on such matters." The nerve of the boy.

"Yes sir, but it's just that I don't think I should take it unless I earn it," Harry said as he tried to ignore Ron's gasp.

_Hmm, the boy did have a point. It wouldn't due to throw gifts at the boy and overindulge him for no reason. _Maybe he could make this situation work to his advantage in helping Harry face the issue of abuse.

"Well, if you truly feel that way then you may come down to my labs after supper and help refill the school stocks this week. I will try to come up with a few more chores for you to do."

"I could do a lot more than that. I could clean the lab for you. At the Dursley's I had to clean the house from top to bottom, so I have a lot of experience with that," Harry said as he tried to think up a few more chores.

"Mr. Potter you are not a house elf and you need not prove your self worth to me. You will do as I say and help with restocking supplies and accept the broom as it was intended. Now, do I make myself clear?" Snape said hoping to be done with this subject and get on their way.

" Yes sir, but I'm really good at ..."

Snape suddenly cut him off as he said harshly, "Mr. Potter one more word on this subject and you will be doing detention for the next month!" Snape was losing his patience with the overeager boy.

Harry quickly stepped back and flushed with shame. "Yes sir, sorry," came a small voice.

_Damn it_! Snape was mad at himself for jumping on the boy like that and in front of his friends no less. _Merlin, the boy was just trying to be helpful. _Snape would somehow have to make it up to him.

Grainger looked ready to rip his head off and Weasley had a look of disgust written across his face.

"You have nothing to be sorry about Potter." He tried to think of something to make it up to the boy. "How would you like to see the Chudley Cannons play this weekend? I could procure tickets in the box seats," Snape offered as he hoped this would make the boy feel better.

Harry looked over at Ron and saw his jaw drop. He was once again feeling overwhelmed at the thought of Snape doing something so nice for him.

"That's brilliant! I know I shouldn't ask this but … is it okay to invite someone else?" Harry just couldn't go to that game without Ron.

Snape looked over at Weasley and he never thought he would see the day that he would voluntarily be spending an entire day with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. _What is this world coming to?_

"Fine, fine bring your friend along," Snape said with a sneer at the group of Gryffindor. This was not going as planned and he thought he better get the boy and leave before he had a date to take the whole group to ice cream!

"Thanks Professor!" Harry said with the first real smile Snape had seen in months.

'Okay, now that makes it worthwhile,' thought Snape.

"Alright enough already, let's attend to the matter at hand and be on our way," Snape said as he turned and begun walking to the apparition point in Hogsmeade.

Harry and Ron gave each other high fives and Harry ran to catch up with the Professor.

"Man he's got it made!" Ron said with awe. "He could have anything he wants and Snape will buy it for him. First the clothes and bedroom, then the Firebolt and now the Chudley Cannons!"

"Oh Ronald, don't be so jealous, he would give anything to have what you have," Hermione wisely stated.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hogsmeade was packed with people busy shopping. Harry didn't go unnoticed and quite a few people wanted to take his picture or asked for his autograph. Fortunately Snape was quick to give them his ready sneer mixed with a little death glare and they soon stopped following them.

Harry asked if they could stop at Gringott's but Severus wouldn't hear of it. He insisted that if Harry wanted anything he would be the one to pay.

Harry was amazed at how much they got done in a short amount of time. They had all his books and quills and parchment, when Harry suddenly stopped in front of the magical toy store called "Tinker's Toys".

"What do you suppose that does Professor?" Harry asked as he pointed to a skateboard without wheels, hovering in the air. It was red with yellow and black stripes across it.

"Shall we go in and find out?" Snape said and he saw Harry's face light up.

"I've never been in a toy store before. When Dudley got to go I used to have to wait in the car." Harry quickly shut his mouth as he saw the look of anger flit across the professor's face.

Snape went up to the clerk and inquired about the board in the window.

"Oh that's a Wizard Racing Board. It's the latest and greatest toy we have. You just stand on it and it hovers in the air. You can make it go faster by leaning forward and it spins around too. If your good enough you can even do loops in the air but it takes awhile to get to that level," the pimply faced clerk said excitedly as he lifted the board out of the window with care. "Its rather pricey but well worth the investment."

They went out to the back alley and the clerk put the board on the ground. He tentatively stood on the board and it began to rise off the ground. He leaned forward and the board went slowly forward. The clerk began to lean left and right and the board followed his every movement as it hovered in the air.

A handful of people stopped to watch and clapped when he made a few spins. The clerk gathered up his nerve and leaned way forward as he pushed down on his back foot, causing the board to begin a loop in the air. Halfway up the loop the clerk lost his nerve and the board crashed to ground with the clerk tumbling off and landing on his head. Luckily Snape flicked his wand just in time to stop the clerks head from hitting the ground with full impact. The clerk scrambled up and thanked the professor for his assistance.

"Can I try it?" Harry asked rather tentatively as he looked from the clerk to his Professor.

The clerk said to go a head and Snape nodded his approval as well.

Harry jumped onto the board and it hovered a few feet off the ground. He leaned forward and the board followed his moves. It didn't take Harry long to get comfortable on the thing and pretty soon he was doing spins and flips and even a double loop. The crowd had grown and began to cheer Harry's every move. Harry didn't even hear the crowd as he was having so much fun. It was kinda like riding a broom but standing up.

After a few more flips and dives Harry landed and stepped off the board with ease. The crowd cheered and Harry finally noticed all the people gathered around. His face reddened and he stood closer to Snape. He looked down at his shoes, as was his usual stance these days.

Snape was mildly proud of the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder to show his approval. Harry unconsciensly leaned against Snape as his stomach began to react to all the spinning and loops.

"What is wrong Harry?" Snape asked as he felt the weight of the boy against him.

"Nothing sir." No way was Harry going to complain. He had learned his lesson at the hands of Vernon about telling anyone he felt ill. It was well drilled into his head these past weeks that under no circumstance was he to complain about anything that bothered him.

Snape looked down at the boy and thought maybe he just needed some food and a little rest from shopping after his ride on the Wizard Board. "How did you like the board Mr. Potter?" Snape asked as he watched the boy suddenly realize he was leaning on him and step away.

"It was brilliant and as much fun as riding a broom!" Harry said and tried not to sound too tired.

"You know I had wanted to have a birthday party for you but with the circumstances that happened it regretfully never came about. It would please me greatly to purchase that board for you."

"But you just got me the broom and that was too much already." Harry said with discomfort.

"The broom was just replacing Lupin's gift. This would be a gift from me. One that you would not have to earn but a true birthday gift," Snape watched Harry's face as he saw the boy wrestle with the idea of allowing himself another gift.

It was beyond his wildest dreams to be given so much and in such a short time. Harry looked up into the Professor's face and saw how determined he was to do this. The last thing Harry wanted was to have another scene like the one at Hogwarts.

Harry picked up the board and rubbed his hand lovingly over it. His mates would go crazy over this thing!

Snape took that to mean yes and quickly paid for the board and escorted a very happy Harry to the Leaky Caldron for lunch. Harry placed the board in a chair next to him and kept rubbing his hand over it whenever he thought Snape wasn't watching. He thought of this past summer and he suddenly realized something. He looked up and saw Snape watching him.

"Are you okay Mr. Potter?" Snape asked with concern.

"Yes sir. It's just that, I've been thinking and … everything good that has happened to me this summer is because of you." the Gryffindor said barely above a whisper.

Snape seemed uncomfortable and ordered another cup of tea, without responding to him. Severus was actually quite emotional over the gratitude the boy showed. The feeling was very foriegn to him and made him uncomfortable.

When they were finished with the meal that Harry barely touched, they used the fireplace in the Leaky Caldron to floo into Hogsmeade. Just before they entered Hogwarts Snape said, "Harry, I hope you didn't mean what you said yesterday about the adoption. I'm not exactly sure what is going through that head of yours but I can speculate that it has something to do with that abominable uncle of yours."

Harry shifted the board from his shoulder and held it in front of him. He didn't exactly know how to answer.

"You don't have to answer right now but please do contemplate carefully."

They walked side by side with Snape carrying all the bags of Harry's school supplies. When they reached the castle Snape hung the bags on Harry's arms and they departed to their perspective rooms with a nod and a quiet "Thank You" from Harry.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oh, and just so you know, I have been working on the cruise ship since the day after Christmas and I have huge blocks of time with nothing to do, as the television shows suck on a ship. I already have a few more chapters finished but I like to revise them a bit before posting. I can only post when we are dockside so that will be in two more days. Also, it really means a lot to me to get your reviews. It gets lonely on the ship with nothing but passengers bugging me for directions all day. Cherrs and Happy New Year!


	19. Chapter 19

Harry was glad that all the Gryffindor's were at supper when he returned from his shopping trip with Professor Snape. He went into the dorm and hid his board under the bed. After Ron's reaction to the broom and clothes, Harry didn't want to make him even angrier. Harry went back down to the common room and started his homework. He worked for a good hour before his friends showed up.

"So how was your day with Professor Snape, Harry?" Hermione asked with a smile.

"Oh you know, it was good. We had lunch at the Leaky Caldron and Tom made a great soup for us," well it was kinda the truth. Tom had made a great soup but Harry didn't really eat it. "We had a really good time at the toy store and I got to try out a new hover board. It was brilliant," Harry said with a smile.

Hermione was happy for Harry and gave him a little one armed hug.

"So did Snape buy you anything else?" Ron asked with a little edge to his voice.

"Just my school stuff and something at the toy store. It's no big deal though," Harry lied.

"Are you sure he didn't buy you another Firebolt 5000, just in case you break your new one or its gets a scratch on it or something?" Ron said sarcastically.

"Do you gotta problem with something Ron? I mean you've been riding me about Snape buying me stuff and I'm getting sick of it. If you have something you want to say then just say it!"

Ron looked a little angry and said, "It just seems like he buys you a lot of stuff and I don't know, maybe he's trying to buy your respect or something."

"He doesn't need to **buy **my respect Ron. He's been really good to me and I actually feel wanted when I'm around him. Not like I'm leeching onto someone else's family or unwanted like at the Dursley's. Can't you just understand that?" That was the first time Harry had mentioned the Dursley's since school started.

Ron said irritably, "No Harry I can't. I mean he's tortured you for five years and then all of a sudden he's like this Super Dad buying you cool stuff and taking you out of school for fun trips. I don't know, it just doesn't seem right. Do you really think he wants to be your Dad now?"

"Dunno, but he makes me feel … important or something. Like I'm not such a bother to have around. You know?"

"Just be careful Harry," Ron said "I still don't trust the git, I mean guy."

"Ronald, I'm surprised at you! Can't you just be happy for Harry and let him be happy he has someone other than the Dursley's?" Hermione said crossly.

Harry suddenly didn't feel so good and stood up and gathered his books.

"Well I think I'll turn in." Harry wanted to get out of there before all the Gyffindor's came back and started asking questions about his day with Snape. He said good night to Hermione and ignored Ron.

All night he tossed and turned due to the terrible pain in his stomach. He thought about telling Severus but remembered the condition of his back and thought he might feel better in the morning anyways.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry was on his way down to Potions when he was suddenly struck with severe stomach pains. He stopped walking and leaned against the stone wall trying to catch his breath. Malfoy and Crabbe walked up behind him and smacked his book bag to the ground, sending his books sliding across the hall. Harry grabbed his wand and turned towards the Slytherins.

"Back off Malfoy! I'm not in the mood to deal with you," Harry said as he began to wobble a bit from the pain. He placed a hand on the wall to steady himself.

"What's wrong with Potty now? Not so brave without your Daddy here to watch over you, are you?"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about Malfoy? Get out of my way," Harry said as he tried to walk around the group of Slytherins.

"Are you gonna go run down to the dungeons and tell your Daddy on me?" Malfoy said as he punched Harry on the shoulder and pushed him back against the wall.

Harry wobbled a bit but held his wand up to Malfoy's face. "I said back off!" Harry had enough of being knocked around by people and he was feeling like hell and didn't have any patience left.

Harry gave Draco a huge push on the chest, knocking the Slytherin to the ground. Draco stood up with a smirk on his face and said, "Okay Potter, let's not use our wands then."

Draco and Harry both put there wands back into their pockets and squared off.

Harry's head spun and his stomach protested as he took a few steps towards Malfoy. He cocked his arm back and threw his fist into the surprised Slytherin's face. The connection was solid. Draco's nose began to bleed profusely and he sputtered out, "You'll pay Potter!" and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

Draco quickly whipped out his wand and angrily yelled out, "Crucio!"

Just before Malfoy yelled out the spell Harry's stomach cramped severely and he fell to the ground in intense pain. Malfoy thought that his spell had hit Harry and he became frightened of being caught. He panicked as he looked at the expressions of pure fear on all the Slytherins watching Harry clutch at his stomach and moan in pain.

Malfoy didn't know what to do and just ran. All the rest of the Slytherins followed him down to the dungeons.

Harry knew he hadn't been hit with the Cruciatus Curse. He knew how that curse felt from his encounter with Voldemort and this pain was different. These were the same stomach pains he'd been having since returning to the Dursley's. He continued to pant as he tried to stand and hold the wall for balance. He heard people coming and decided to try and find a place he could hide until the pain passed. He painstakingly walked around the corner and saw the statue of the One Eyed Witch. Harry slowly made his way to it knowing that it was actually a secret passageway into Honey Dukes at Hogsmeade. If he could just rest in the passageway for a few minutes he knew he would feel better. He pulled his wand out and tapped the witch saying, "Dissendium!" The hump on the back of the witch opened up and Harry crawled in, sinking down to his knees in the dank, dark tunnel. Within a few minutes he had passed out, shivering with fever.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Harry didn't show up for Potions, Snape was at once concerned. Who wouldn't be after seeing the condition of the boy? Snape knew he hadn't been eating and could tell that he tired easily after spending the afternoon with him yesterday. Snape told the class the assignment for the day and then walked over to Hermione as she was beginning to collect the ingredients.

"Ms. Granger may I have a word?" Hermione followed Snape into his office and already knew that this was about Harry.

"Ms. Granger do you know where Mr. Potter is?"

"No sir, I was wondering myself. I saw him in Divinations earlier though," Hermione said with concern.

"Hmm, could you please ask him to see me when you next see him?"

"Certainly Professor. And professor?"

"Yes Ms. Granger?"

"Harry looked really happy last night," Hermione said as she went back to the potions lab.

Snape hid his smile at hearing those words. That was exactly what he wanted for the boy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Snape watched as the students filed in for supper and began to get an anxious feeling at the absence of Harry. During dessert Granger finally walked into the Great Hall with a look of panic on her face. Weasley stood up as she neared him but she waved him away and headed for the teacher's table. Snape stood up and walked around to the front of the table.

"Sir, I can't find him. I've looked everywhere and I can't find him." Hermione said in alarm.

Snape turned towards Dumbledore and told him that Harry had been missing since this afternoon. Dumbledore immediately requested the help of his staff and grounds keepers. All the teacher's were concerned for the pallid boy and they searched the castle with a great urgency.

Harry's books had been found on the third floor corridor but there was no other sign of the Gryffindor.

By midnight they decided to call in the Aurors from the Order. Arthur and Molly came as well to help with the search. All the members of the D.A. insisted that they wouldn't stop searching when McGonagall asked them to go up to bed.

Molly was beside herself with worry and couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Unfortunately Ron walked into the Great Hall at that moment and she rounded on him.

"Did you plan some sort of prank with Harry? You better not be holding back anything, even if it might get you into trouble! I mean it Ronald Weasley, you'll regret keeping secrets!" Molly yelled in fright at her youngest son.

"Mum, I haven't seen Harry since this morning. I swear I'm telling the truth!" Ron said with a mixture of anger at his Mum and fear over Harry's disappearance.

Ron wished the stupid Dursley's hadn't burned the Marauders Map or he could have found him easily. The "point me" spell hadn't helped either but Dumbledore said that some of the walls were spelled against it in case of attack.

When the sun started to rise, Dumbledore decided he could wait no longer and had to alert the Ministry. Within an hour the place was crawling with Aurors, Unspeakables, and Ministry officials. Fudge was angry at how this was going to look to the public. Finally they decided Harry must not be on the grounds and he might very well have been kidnapped.

Snape was beside himself with worry and still didn't stop searching. He just couldn't get the image of Harry riding that Wizard Board out of his head. The boy had looked so happy and carefree as if he didn't have a worry in the world. Snape was making arrangements to begin searching Hogsmeade when Dumbledore called him into his office.

After giving the password and walking up the winding staircase Snape walked into Dumbledore's office and was shocked to see Remus Lupin in there as well. It was a full moon last night and usually the werewolf needed a few days to overcome the effects of that. A haggard looking Remus grabbed Snape by the cloak as he stepped into the office.

"I trusted you! I trusted you to make sure Harry would be taken care of! Where the bloody hell is he!" Remus screamed with a ferociousness he normally didn't have.

Snape was taken aback at the usually composed man. "Get your paws off me!" Snape said in a low growl. There wasn't a person on earth who could match Snape's intimidating voice when the professor was angry.

Remus immediately let go and buried his face in his hands. "Oh Merlin, I couldn't take it if we lost Harry too. He's all I have left and I couldn't even be there for him when he needed me most. Severus do you have any ideas, any ideas at all?"

"Lupin I do not have the time or the patience to deal with you while my future son is once again in peril. I think you mistake my compassion for Mr. Potter's circumstance as a new shoulder to cry on for yourself. Get hold of yourself and begin to do something constructive in finding Potter," Snape turned on his heel after giving the headmaster a nod and went back to finding his son.

When Snape entered the Great Hall several Ministry officials gave him the run down of areas that had been searched. As Harry's legal guardian in the Wizarding World he would need to be the one to officially call off the search. Snape was not prepared to do that yet. He heard the terrifying news that they were going to begin to drain the pond in addition to sending divers to the Black Lake floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry lay unconscious and shivering with fever within the castle, while half the wizarding world looked frantically for him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Molly refused to leave the school and stayed with Minerva in her rooms. After a few days most had lost hope of finding Harry at Hogwarts. Students couldn't concentrate in classes and several students would break down and cry. Most teachers did little more than post assignments then join in on talks with the students about Harry's disappearance. Everyone seemed to feel the weight of his absence.

Hermione would never forget when Professor Snape came into the room of requirement as all the D.A. were brainstorming on finding Harry. He stood at the door and looked at all of Harry's friends. The students were silent as he walked to the front of the room.

"Do not give up hope and do not cease your search. Mr. Potter … Harry, will be found if it is the last thing I do. Continue your meeting and please contact me if you have even the slightest clue." Snape strode out of the room to gasps of surprise from the students that didn't know about his and Harry's recent relationship.

All the members of the D.A. never gave up hope and continued searching as did all the teacher's of Hogwarts. On the third day all the Ministry Officials left, along with most of the Aurors and Unspeakables, to begin their search in other places.

Snape continued his search but began to go through his stores of veritiserum on many of his Death Eater friends. He met several for drinks in Hogsmeade and slipped the potion into their drinks. He heard some pretty interesting stories but none of them pertained to Potter.

Arthur was at the ministry but concerned for his wife and Ron and Ginny so he asked if the twins would check up on them. When Fred and George arrived they found the Weasley bunch and rest of the original D.A. members in the library going over a list of possible kidnappers. They were all trying to come up with ideas of how someone could have snuck onto the grounds and taken Harry without anyone seeing them when Fred said, "Well, they could have used the passage from Hogsmeade."

Everyone looked at Fred and he said, "Hasn't anyone checked it yet?"

They all scrambled up and followed Fred at a run through the castle and down to the passage with the 'one eyed witch'. Fred activated the hatch to open the witch and Ron climbed down into the tunnel. He groaned loudly at seeing his friend curled up in a ball on death's door.

"He's here, Harry's here!" George scrambled down and helped Ron lift Harry up the tunnel and handed him to Fred. Fred choked back a sob at the sight of his honorary "brother". Hermione immediately ran down to the dungeons for Professor Snape.

She found him in his office. He was gathering more potions to slip to Death Eaters and interrogate them without them knowing.

"They found him! He's alive but he needs you!" Snape followed after the girl at a quick run and thought he would be eternally grateful to her for this news.

They ran into the group of Weasley's and D. A. members just as they were turning the corner on their way to the hospital wing.

'Give him to me!" Snape demanded as he reached for the fevered thin boy. Fred looked like he might refuse but Ron said, "Give him to the Professor, he's Harry's dad now."

Snape shot Ron a look of surprise then felt his heart tighten at the thought of losing his son before the boy was even officially his. He hugged Harry tighter to his chest and continued down to the infirmary.

The entire group followed him into the hospital wing. Snape placed Harry down carefully on the bed and Poppy ran her wand up and down the length of Harry's body. Her expression was grim as she wrote notes on his waiting open chart. She asked Severus to remove the boy's shirt and began to collect several potions off the shelf. The entire D.A. stood back and watched wordlessly. Snape noticed them for the first time and pulled the screen around Harry's bed. Ron, Hermione and Fred stepped around it and kept their eyes on their best friend, Snape didn't protest.

Severus loosened the boys tie and unbuttoned his sweat soaked shirt. He pulled open his shirt and froze. The boy was covered in horrendous bruises across the entire front of his chest that looked as if they went past his stomach as well. Snape's hands were shaking as he quickly turned the boy onto his stomach and pulled the shirt completely off. He heard the students behind him gasp as the shirt was removed. His back looked worse than the front of him. Along with the wide welts there was also a deep cut that had been crudely stitched closed running across his lower left ribcage.

Snape dropped to his knees and covered his face with his hand as a low moan escaped his lips. He had promised Harry that he would take care of him and then the boy had been sent back to that hell hole. Now this was the result. _What must the boy of gone through and why didn't he tell anyone. _Snape was beyond angry at Dursley and the only thing holding him back from flooing to the Dursley's and ripping that man's head off was that he wouldn't leave Harry's side.

Madame Pomfrey was greatly grieved at seeing Harry in that condition once again. Severus rose up and turned towards Fred and asked him to get Professor Dumbledore. Within a few minutes Dumbledore threw open the hospital doors and strode over to the bed. He didn't say anything about Harry's condition but he must have been greatly affected because his hands shook as he took hold of Harry's hand. Madame Pomfry went into nurse mode and began to clean up the dried blood around the stitches.

"Wait Poppy, I need to bring someone back to see Mr. Potter in this condition." Dumbledore said and he left through the floo.

"Well, I guess I should address this fever first anyway. Severus would you please hold Mr. Potter while I give him a fever potion?" Poppy turned to find the fever potion amongst all the other potions.

Severus turned Harry over carefully and then put his arm under the boy's neck and shoulders to lift his head. Poppy slowly poured the fever reducing potion into Harry's mouth.

"Professor, you should know that Harry hasn't eaten much since we returned to school." Hermione offered.

"I don't think Harry had much to eat since I last saw him this summer," Snape said with worry. "His Muggle family didn't put much stock into feeding the boy it appears."

Hermione had giant tears rolling down her face and Ron was having a hard time holding back his own tears. They watched as the professor gently placed the boy back down on the bed and placed a cold wash cloth on his fevered forehead. Then Snape sat next to him on the bed and took hold of Harry's hand, rubbing it gently. He started talking to him about the day they spent together in Diagon Alley and Hermione stood next to him and watched Harry's face relax a little. Ron never thought he would see the professor be so gentle and caring with anyone, let alone his best friend. Ron knew he would never again call Professor Snape mean names after witnessing this scene.

Dumbledore came out of the fireplace followed by Minister Fudge, Percy Weasley, Sir Stanton and Madame Bones. Severus stood to the side so they could get a good look at Harry's condition.

"Who did this to him! Fudge demanded and looked towards Professor Snape for answers.

"His Uncle." Snape stated clearly.

"But- but that's impossible. Sir Stanton saw the boy every few days and said he was fine," Fudge said accusingly as he shot a quick look at Stanton.

"He didn't look like this the last time I saw him. He was excited about school starting and looked fine, "Stanton said with an air of self righteousness.

"Do these bruises and," Snape gently rolled Harry over onto his stomach, exposing the deep wound on his back, "does this cut look like they are less then a week old? The boy looks as if he has been someone's personal punching bag for weeks. Don't you dare stand there and say you were watching out for my son Stanton. Why don't you tell everyone who you really work for," Snape said in a voice so scary that Hermione backed away fearfully.

Sir Stanton shuffled his feet and said, "I don't know what you are talking about Professor!"

Madame Bones stepped in before the two squared off and said, "What happened to Mr. Potter, where was he Professor?"

"He crawled into a secret passage in the castle and passed out. He has a high fever along with these other wounds," Snape said as he once again grabbed Harry's hand and rubbed his thumb back and forth over the top of it.

Madame Pomfrey stepped over to the group and looked at Sir Stanton and said, "How dare you stand there and say you didn't see the boy's condition! It was quite obvious to everyone at the school that he hadn't eaten or slept in several weeks. If you saw him every few days then you must have witnessed something at the boy's home?"

Sir Stanton had definitely witnessed a few untoward scenes with the boy and his family but he certainly was not about to admit it.. He clearly remembered the time that Petunia had asked him to stay for supper. The house had smelled of pot roast and that happened to be Sir Stanton's favorite dish. During supper a drunken Vernon had punched the boy in the ribs for not eating his supper. Then seeing that Sir Stanton had no adverse reaction to that Vernon struck the boy on the mouth and told him to get up and clear the dishes. Sir Stanton thought back to how the boy looked to him for help and when none came the boy's shoulders sagged and he resigned himself to his punishments.

That was neither here nor there Sir Stanton thought as he didn't work for the boy, he worked for Vespa and she didn't want the boy removed from the house. Vespa had made it clear to him that all she cared about was Mr. Potter drinking the tea she had supplied for Stanton's visits.

Sir Stanton shook his head and said, "Well you know how these kids hide things."

"Madame Bones is this enough evidence to give me full custody of Mr. Potter now?" Snape asked with suppressed anger.

Sir Stanton panicked at hearing those words and quickly said, "Wait! Now wait just a minute. I am the boys official -"

Snape moved so quickly no one knew what happened. He grabbed the pompous man by the shirt and lifted him off the ground. "Do not say one more word or you will live to regret it!" He dropped the man and Sir Stanton fell to his knees with fear clearly written on his face.

Madame Bones pretended as if she hadn't just witnessed that scene and said, "Professor you will get full custody of the boy. Please file the appropriate papers and schedule a court date for the adoption. I feel the ministry needs a complete shake down and people should pay for this injustice. We will start with Vernon Dursley." She looked directly at Stanton.

"Maybe a few drops of veritserum will help Sir Stanton to remember exactly who he works for," Snape said as he looked directly at the man.

Fudge stepped in and said, "Now, now let's move along so Nurse Pomfrey can attend to matters at hand."

Severus looked down at the sleeping fevered boy and began to help Poppy rub healing cream into his wounds as the group of Ministry officials flooed back to the ministry. Poppy removed the so called stitches from the boy's back and waved her wand over that spot several times before the wound closed up. When they were finished Severus rolled Harry onto his back again. Poppy pulled out a pair of hospital pajamas and handed them to Severus.

Severus looked at the two Weasley's and Granger and said, "Perhaps you could let everyone know that Mr. Potter is back."

They understood that Harry wouldn't want them to witness Snape changing him and began to walk out. They stopped when Snape said, "You will never know how grateful I am to all of you for not giving up." The group nodded and left to wait out in the hallway with the rest of the D.A..

When the doors closed Severus put the shirt on Harry and then took the boy's socks and shoes off. As he pulled his pants off he saw the rest of the injuries inflicted onto the boy. Snape called Poppy over and she healed a deep wound to Harry's leg and applied the magical healing cream to the boy's battered thighs. When the boy was washed up and dressed again Severus tucked the blankets around him and sat down in a chair next to the bed.

Severus held his hand and talked of the new Quiddich field he intended to build at Snape Manor for Harry. Suddenly Harry sat up and started choking. Snape quickly stood up and patted Harry on the back becoming more alarmed with the boy as he began to turn red.

"Poppy! Poppy come quick!"

Harry suddenly stopped coughing and began to vomit violently. The only thing he had in his stomach was the medicine but that came up along with a purple foam. Poppy and Severus had never seen anything like that before and wondered if Harry ate something while he was down in the tunnel. The exhausted boy lie back against the pillows as Snape waved his wand and cleaned up the mess on the covers.

Harry looked around and tried to figure out what had happened to him. He felt so dizzy and tired. How did he get here? He looked at Snape's worried face and Snape put a cup of water to the boy's lips. Harry drank greedily and Snape had to pull the cup away before the boy made himself sick again.

Harry asked wearily, "What happened?"

"Your friends found you in a secret tunnel after three long days. Everyone was very worried about you."

Harry looked at him with confusion and said, "Sorry. I just needed to rest a bit and then … I don't know what happened."

"Harry why didn't you tell me about the bruises and cuts?"

Harry could hardly deny it as he could clearly feel they had been attended too. He didn't say anything and looked away.

"Harry look at me when I'm talking to you." Harry turned to face the teacher once again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Snape asked again.

Harry shook his head and looked down at his hands. Snape grabbed his chin and forced him to look at him. "Why didn't you tell me?'

"Why? You couldn't do anything. You said you would before but … it doesn't matter anyways."

"Harry you were tortured by your uncle. Why didn't you tell the ministry when they checked on you?"

"Sir Stanton said my uncle was just trying to help me. He was Severus, Uncle Vernon was trying to make me better. It was kinda like punishment for killing Sirius and learning not to get my friends killed. For Sirius and .. for you." Harry held back his tears as he had been taught but it was with great effort and he began to lose that battle. A giant tear escaped and rolled down to Harry's chin. Snape caught it and looked at it.

Snape was heartsick thinking Harry had suffered silently like this for **him**. The boy had been tortured, thinking it would keep Snape safe in some mixed up crazy way. Snape's heart broke at that thought. He carefully leaned in towards Harry and wrapped his arms around the sick boy. Harry lost control of his emotions and cried into the Professor's shoulder. Snape rubbed the boy's back gently and promised him everything would be okay now.

When the boy calmed down a bit, Snape gave him another small sip of water. Harry started coughing and once again vomited the water up along with more purple foam. Snape flicked his wand and the mess was gone. Harry leaned forward and held his stomach.

Snape gave him a look of great concern, "Harry how long have you been feeling ill like this?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and said, "Why does it matter?"

"Answer the question. We are not at the Dursley's and unlike that repulsive man, I **do** want to hear when you are feeling ill. Have you been feeling ill lately?" Snape asked in a no nonsense tone of voice.

"Yeah, I-I mean yes sir. It's just that my stomach has been bad since I went back to my Uncle's. I-I think it's just a muggle flu or something," Harry said just above a whisper.

"Did you eat anything while you were in the tunnel?"

Harry shook his head no and quickly regretted the move as his head began to throb and his stomach once again rebelled with the movement.

He sunk further into his covers and put his fist to his mouth to hold back another round of nausea.

"Do you think you could tolerate anything to help your stomach calm down Harry?"

"I wish I had some of that tea that Sir Stanton used to give me. It always made me feel better."

Snape's heart skipped a beat at hearing that. _Stanton was the ministry official that checked up on Harry! Stanton gave Harry a tea?_

Snape quickly sat straight up and a look of fury came over his face as he grabbed Harry's shoulders. Harry pushed back into the pillows and a look of fear crossed his face.

Snape saw what he had just done to the boy and could have kicked himself for forgetting that Harry was still so vulnerable and damaged. "It's okay I won't hurt you. Could you tell me about the tea that Sir Stanton gave you?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and said a little shakily, "It was good. It tasted like berries and it was sweet."

"How often did you drink it?"

"On every visit. He used to watch over me until I finished it all. I guess he kinda knew I wasn't feeling so well."

"Did you tell him your stomach hurt?"

"No, I wasn't allowed to talk about how I felt but he must have just figured it out. He used to say that he brought the tea to settle my stomach. It was odd how he would stay just until I finished the tea and as soon as I was done he would leave."

"Harry you just drank the tea without question? Without knowing if it was poisoned or had something in it! Haven't you learned anything!" Snape yelled in anger.

"I had to! You just don't understand what it's like at my Uncle's house. You just can't … you just can't disobey anything," Harry yelled back emotionally.

Snape rose up and walked towards the floo. He didn't want to face Harry until he could control his emotions. _Oh Merlin, this sickness was caused by Vespa! _He just knew that tea had something to do with it and he knew Vespa was behind it. He turned back towards the boy and called for Poppy.

"Poppy we need to get a blood sample from Mr. Potter. I think this stomach ailment is a little more than a case of the muggle flu."

Snape called in Molly to watch over Harry as he made his way down to his lab. Within an hour it was confirmed. Harry had been given a highly toxic magical poison that there was no known antidote for.

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Okay people remain calm. The next chappy is coming soon!

So, I just want to thank everyone for the reviews. I had a horrible day on the ship with people getting sea sick and just being rude. When I could finally open up my mail I felt sooooo much better.

Write me!


	20. Chapter 20

Snape was feeling horrible over this new discovery. His own Aunt was the cause for Harry's sickness and at this point there was no known antidote. Snape thought back to the last conversation he had with the boy. Harry had told the Professor that he was being taught lessons to 'change' and that in turn was supposed to keep Snape safe. It all didn't make any sense to Severus but he speculated that it did make sense to a severely abused boy. Now Snape had to struggle with the fact that Harry was in mortal peril, once again because of him.

Snape was angry at himself for not tracking down Vespa and killing her after what she had done to him with the curse. Now he would pay a heavy price as he watched his future son fight to live. He wished more then anything that he could just take Harry away from all this and reside in a house far away from Voldemort, Vespa and Dursley. The boy deserved so much more then this and it just wasn't fair. He didn't really know how he was going to tell Harry, not to mention the Weasley's, Granger and Dumbledore. It was all his fault and he had to fix this mess he put the boy into.

He pulled out several cauldrons and began brewing potions that he hoped would lead him to find a counter curse. After quite a few failures he finally forced himself to stop so he could go check on Harry.

Snape walked into the hospital room and found all the Weasley's along with Granger and Longbottom talking with a very tired looking Harry.

"How are you feeling Harry," Snape asked as he saw the boy grab his stomach.

"Erm, fine sir. I just wish I had some of that tea," Harry said in a scratchy voice. He seemed to be losing his voice after all that vomiting and not drinking water for three days. Snape only hoped it wasn't permanent as he didn't really know all the side effects of the poison.

"Harry that tea is not beneficial for you. I'm going to ask that you refrain from eating or drinking anything unless Madame Pomfrey or I provide it for you. Do you understand?" Snape didn't want to alarm the boy but thought he better make it clear.

Harry looked at the soup Mrs. Weasley brought him and back at Professor Snape. He didn't want the soup anyway but didn't want Mrs. Weasley to think Severus meant her food too.

"Molly I hope you don't mind but Harry will be on a severely restricted diet until we can control this… _flu bug _he has. He will also be monitored 24 hours a day and unfortunately will have to endure quite a few blood tests. I need to know every single item he places in his mouth and the core ingredients."

Harry didn't care, this was nothing compared to his stay at the Dursley's.

Molly gathered up her soup and with a flick of a wand it disappeared. "Whatever you say Severus. I have total trust in you that you will take care of our Harry." Snape felt worse then ever at hearing that. He was the reason Harry had these stomach pains to begin with. _Blasted Vespa and her poison!_

Snape turned towards the young people of the group and said, "Do **not** bring Mr. Potter any sweets or drinks of any kind." Snape plucked a couple of chocolate frogs off Harry's bedside table and handed them to Ron. "Also, I am counting on you to convey to me any abnormal symptoms Mr. Potter does not reveal to me. He seems to be partial to hiding his grievances from me," Snape gave Harry a stern look then looked back at the young people before him, "May I count on you?"

The group nodded and a few said, "Yes sir."

"Well this sounds like its going to be loads of fun," Harry said with a grin.

Snape rounded on Harry and said, "And you Mr. Potter are to remain in bed unless otherwise given express permission to do otherwise. I do not want to be forced into utilizing those magical bands again to keep you in bed."

Harry's face flushed and he wished the Professor hadn't just said that in front of his friends.

"Don't worry I'm not going anywhere Severus," Harry said without thinking. He looked back up to see his friend's with looks of shock mixed with fear at his using the Professor's first name so casually.

Snape walked over to Harry and pushed the sweat soaked hair back from Harry's forehead. "Do not worry Harry. I am attempting to get you out of here as soon as possible." Harry looked up at him gratefully and missed the looks of utter surprise from everyone else in the room.

Snape pulled a small box from his pocket and handed it to Harry. Harry looked at it and then back up at the Professor.

"Well are you going to open it or just stare at it?" Snape said with sarcasm.

Harry gave a quick glance to Ron and wished Snape hadn't done this in front of him. He slowly opened the box and pulled out a tiny golden snitch. He opened his hand and the snitch flew around the room.

The Weasley twins both said, "Wicked!" as they jumped to catch it as it went buzzing by. Ron watched as the tiny snitch buzzed around his head.

"If you desire to speak with me or need anything from me when I am not here you simply say my name and the snitch will let me know that I am required here. You may use it anytime you desire, even if I am teaching," Snape explained.

"Sort of like an indoor owl Harry," Neville said without knowing the pain it would cause.

Harry caught his breath and suddenly looked down. He shook his head and felt his heart tighten at the thought of Hedwig.

Snape watched him struggle with his emotions and said, "Well, it's time for this visit to end. Mr. Potter needs to get his rest." Harry looked up at him gratefully and Snape saw the unshed tears.

After everyone left Snape sat down in the chair next to Harry's bed and asked, "Do you desire to talk about it?" Harry shook his head and looked away.

"Harry when will you learn to trust me?"

Harry closed his eyes and tried to push the thought of Hedwig away. As long as he kept his mouth shut Hedwig would continue to live. The last time he had seen her she looked alright but she still hadn't made any sounds. He had begged his Uncle to let him keep Hedwig in his room but after the first few days Vernon took Hedwig away.

When Harry was leaving to come back to school he had thought Hedwig would come too but Vernon soon squelched that idea. He threatened Harry with Hedwig's life if Harry said anything about his 'lessons'. Harry had almost missed the train because he had refused to leave without her. Uncle Vernon had to forcefully drag him to the car and once inside had silenced him with a punch to the side of the head. When Harry came to he was sitting in the train station parking lot with Vernon throwing his trunk and wand on the ground. Harry stumbled out of the car and Vernon took off without looking back to see that Harry was okay. Harry came to realize that he wasn't strong enough to take on his Uncle without using magic. If he used magic he would be kicked out of Hogwarts and most likely thrown into an orphanage. He couldn't imagine Vernon taking him back after getting hexed.

No, he wouldn't tell Snape anything. He couldn't take the chance of anything happening to his owl. Besides he seemed to have gotten off without having to say much about his injuries and that was what he was most concerned about. Hedwig's life depended on it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next few days Harry had sudden stomach attacks that left him gasping for air. It seemed to come in waves and lasted for an hour or two. The first times he held back from making any noise. Then as it became more severe he panted through the attacks. Now the pain was so sharp he begun to cry out. During the last attack he was alone in the infirmary when the sharp pain began to build. He looked around for Madame Pomfey but she was no where to be found. He felt foolish for doing this but he pulled out the tiny snitch and said Snape's name. The snitch flew out the door and Harry waited while the pain built to an all time high.

Snape was in the classroom berating his students for yet another explosion when the snitch came flying through the door. His heart stopped for a second and he quickly told the class to clean up and class was dismissed.

Snape raced out the door and down the long corridors to the hospital wing. He pushed the doors open and looked around quickly. Harry was not in his bed and Pomfrey was not around. Snape heard a sudden gasp coming from the other side of the bed. He raced around the bed and saw Harry curled up in a ball on the floor, shaking uncontrollably.

"Harry! Harry what hurts? Is it your stomach?" Snape asked in a panic stricken voice as he knelt down next to Harry.

"S'my stomach an head. It's worse, please help me," Harry said in a low raspy voice.

Snape picked him up and put him back on the bed. He felt Harry's forehead and was appalled at how hot he was. Snape grabbed the vial of pain potion off the night stand and held it up to Harry's mouth. Harry barely managed to get half down but it soon came back up with a violent reaction from the boy. Harry screamed out in pain and clutched Snape's cloak. "Do something please Severus," Harry begged. The pain was excruciating and tore at his insides. It felt ten time's worse then the Cruciatus Curse. Snape didn't have any idea how to stop the poison from attacking Harry and felt like he was helpless. Snape continued to hold onto Harry and rubbed small circles on his back while the boy tried not to scream, but clamped his jaw closed and moaned in agony. About an hour later the attack subsided and Harry fell immediately into an exhausted sleep. Snape was torn between leaving Harry and working on the antidote or staying with the boy in case he woke. The Professor opted to stay with Harry just in case he had another attack.

Snape's schedule had been grueling and he had only had an hour here and there to sleep. He stayed with Harry as much as he could but his first priority was the antidote. Just when he thought he was getting closer he would find that it didn't work. He extracted more vials of blood from Harry until Harry's body wouldn't tolerate any more blood loss and Madame Pomfrey had to give Harry a blood replenishing potion. The potion didn't stay down and Harry became weaker. Snape had been working with the Potion Healers at St. Mungo's but no one was any closer.

That night Harry lost his voice completely from vomiting and screaming. His scratchy whisper was barely audible. Snape was at a loss and thought he should let everyone know that Harry had been poisoned by Vespa and there was no known cure.

Snape had not told anyone because he thought he would have found the antidote by now and didn't want Harry to worry needlessly. Now it seemed the boy was going down hill fast and the attacks were much more frequent. Severus couldn't describe how he was feeling because he had never felt that paternal love for anyone before Harry. His heart ached every time he thought about Harry and the poison running through his body.

Severus was back down in the dungeons working on the antidote when the snitch flew through the door. He immediately ran back up to the infirmary. As he walked through the hospital doors he could hear Harry calling for him in that scratchy strangled voice and Molly reassuring Harry that he was on the way.

"I'm here Harry. I'm right here," Snape said as he sat on Harry's bed and took hold of his hand.

"Just don't leave, kay?" Harry whispered as he squeezed his eyes closed in pain.

Snape didn't know what happened to make Harry want him there so badly but he certainly wasn't going to leave the boy in that condition. He pulled an empty chair closer to the bed. Snape sat down and leaned closer to Harry as he placed a hand on the boy's face.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Harry relaxed and let himself fall into a fitful sleep and escape the pain temporarily.

Two hours later Snape woke after falling into a disturbed sleep. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see Harry awake as well. The boy didn't know he was being observed as he stared at the ceiling with giant tears falling on to his pillow. He didn't make any sound but just stared upwards and let the tears flow.

Snape watched silently knowing that Harry had been taught to suffer without any noise or bothering anyone with his pain. Snape reached his hand to the boy's face and rubbed Harry's cheek with his thumb. Harry didn't move or say anything.

"Could you tell me what you are thinking about Harry?" Snape asked quietly as he continued rubbing Harry's cheek.

"It just hurts so much and nothing is helping. I can't take it anymore Professor," Harry said in a sad raspy whisper as he continued looking up.

"Harry I'm trying hard to find the solution. Please, please don't give up hope."

"What's **really** wrong with me?"

This was the conversation Snape had been avoiding. He watched as the tears stopped coming from Harry's eyes but the boy continued looking up.

"It seems Vespa is opposed to this adoption and the tea you were given from Stanton was poisoned. I'm trying to fix it Harry but I haven't found the right antidote yet," Snape waited for Harry's response.

Harry took in a deep breath and looked over to the professor.

"It's not your fault Professor. I just want you to know that," Harry said as he closed his eyes and put a hand on top of the Professor's.

Snape wasn't ready for that kind of response. He thought the boy might get angry or cry or ask all sorts of questions. All Harry thought about was making sure Severus was not blaming himself for what his Aunt did. Snape was taken aback at how selfless this boy was and it ripped his heart apart to know he couldn't help him.

"You make me proud to become your father. I hope **you** know that," Severus said and he saw a small smile appear on the boy's face.

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After watching Harry sleep for close to an hour Severus called Molly to stay with him once again. It was 2:00 am and the halls were quiet at Hogwarts as Snape made his way down to the laboratory to continue on the antidote. As he walked into the lab he saw a lavender owl sitting on his workbench with a scroll tied to her leg. _Vespa's owl!_

Snape pulled the scroll off the owl and opened it. A small vial fell onto the workbench. Snape picked up the vial and read the letter from his aunt.

_Dearest Severus,_

_By now I can only presume that young Mr. Potter is in immense pain. He is only days now from losing his life. I am most assuredly the only one who is able to save him. As you well know I am a superb Potions Master myself and the best in the world at Dark Arts Potions. The poison given to Mr. Potter will kill him unless he takes the antidote I kindly sent to you. He must drink the antidote every three days as it counter acts the poison and stops it from functioning. I am a compassionate woman and will send the vial of antidote to you every three days, if you do as I say. _

_Firstly you must stop any absurd ideas of adopting the mudblood boy. _

_Secondly, you must not pursue any vindication from Sir Stanton. As you may have figured out by now, Sir Stanton works for me. As soon as you applied for gaurdianship of Mr. Potter I employed Sir Stanton to make sure the adoption did not happen. Since you figured out about the blood curse I placed on you I am now forced to turn my attention to young Mr. Potter. I will not stand by and watch as our family estates end up in the hands of a mudblood orphan boy. Sir Stanton will be watching out for my best interest and you are to leave him unharmed. As a matter of fact you are to treat him as your superior and abide by any orders he gives (as those orders will actually be from me). _

_The antidote requires plenty of uninterrupted sleep for it to work properly and loses it's potency with less sleep. Please advice your boy to eat at every meal as the antidote is rather harsh on the stomach. He must drink the entire vial and stay in bed for 12 hours after each dose. _

_Remember - If you fail to heed either of my commands I will not send the next vial of life saving potion._

_Your loving Auntie Vespa_

_p.s. _

_The owl can not be tracked so do not waste your time trying to find me._

Immediantly after reading the note it burst into flames and disappeared.

Snape was livid! _How could the evil bitch do something so vile and to a child! _Snape needed to get to Harry and relieve his pain immediately. He pulled out a syringe and drew out a tiny amount of the antidote to study later, then quickly stopped it back up and headed to the infirmary.

As Snape walked through the hospital doors he saw Harry rolled up in a ball on his side, clutching his stomach as Molly rubbed his back and spoke softly to him. The boy was covered in perspiration and his face was showing the agony he was going through.

"Harry do you think you could manage to sit up for a moment?" Snape said and he grasped Harry's arm and helped him into a sitting position.

"What is it Professor?" came the pain filled voice.

"Just drink this and we'll see," Snape didn't want to give the boy false hope.

Snape put the vial to Harry's mouth and tilted the potion in. Harry scrunched up his face at the taste and swallowed the entire contents of the vial.

"Molly do you think you could bring some of your soup for Harry?"

"Certainly Severus," Molly said a spell and flicked her wand as a hot bowl of soup appeared on Harry's nightstand.

"Sir? I can't really eat that right now," Harry whispered out.

"You have no choice," Snape said in a no nonsense tone of voice. Snape would be sure to follow the instructions to the letter. He lifted the spoon to Harry's mouth and watched as the boy begrudgingly swallowed.

Within an hour Harry was sleeping soundly and Severus sat next to him hoping that this would work. Snape soon fell asleep after having only a few hours sleep in several days.

The morning sun struck Snape in the eyes and he immediately sat up and looked towards Harry. He was amazed at the sudden change in the boy. Harry was sitting up in bed, eating a bowl of cereal and looking back at him.

"Harry, how are feeling?" Snape asked with hope as he could already tell the boy was in much better condition.

"Brilliant! Whatever you gave me seems to of worked," Harry said through a mouthful of cereal. His voice was still scratchy but he sounded so much stronger.

Snape placed his hand on Harry's face and felt that he was cool to the touch.

"I feel good enough to go for a ride on my hover board!"

"Do not even think about it! You must stay in bed and sleep all day Mr. Potter," Snape said as he tried to use a firm voice but was so pleased at seeing Harry so healthy that he barely managed from smiling.

Harry looked up at the Professor and smiled. Snape was overcome with emotions and looked away.

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The rest of the morning was spent chasing Harry's friends from visiting the young Gryffindor so he could get the required sleep the antidote called for. It seemed that every time Snape left the hospital room he would come back to see a group of young people surrounding Harry's bed and talking incessantly. Harry joining right along, enjoying the company.

Snape came back up from a Potions class and walked in on Harry, Weasley, Finnegan and Longbottom jumping from bed to bed trying to catch the tiny snitch. Snape was worried beyond belief at how this would affect the antidote. He watched as Harry dived across the beds and was extremely angry at Potter for not abiding by his rules.

The first of the Gryffindor's to notice Snape standing at the door was Weasley. He froze on the spot and tried to warn his friends by loudly clearing his throat. Harry looked up after taking a dive across two beds and catching the tiny snitch. He immediately froze too. It took Seamus and Neville a second longer to notice Snape but as soon as they did they jumped off the beds and stared with fright clearly written on their faces.

"Potter in the bed NOW!" Snape snapped as he glared at Harry.

Harry let the snitch go and walked over to his bed feeling like he had really let Severus down.

Snape turned his attention to the other Gryffindor. "The rest of you will be doing detention with Mr. Filch this week," Snape said in a stern voice.

Harry watched as his friends made their way to the door.

"Severus, that's not fair. I was the one who started the game and they were just helping," Harry said with an edge to his raspy voice.

Snape walked up to Harry and stood over him as the boy stood next to his hospital bed.

"Mr. Potter, it would be advantageous for you to keep your **mouth shut **while I am doling out detention to my students," Snape said in a dangerously quiet voice.

Harry wasn't going to let his friends down. "I just don't think its fair Sir. It was my fault and they shouldn't get in trouble for something I did," Harry tried to reason again. Harry looked at his friends now all standing together by the door. Ron was shaking his head trying to tell Harry to shut up and Neville looked as if he was ready to flee.

"Mr. Potter you are testing my patience. Get into bed and stay there! The detention stands as it is. Now I do not want to hear another word on the subject," Snape hissed.

Harry stood firmly next to the bed and folded his arms in front of him in anger.

"Mr. Potter I will give you one more chance to get into bed before I toss you in," Snape snarled.

Harry stood firm and said, "Professor these are my best friends and if it had been Ron's dad who caught us I know Mr. Weasley wouldn't give everyone detention." Harry looked down in embarrassment over having such a strict guardian. He didn't want his friends to hate Snape. Harry looked towards his friends again and saw that Neville was actually shaking and Ron had his hand covering his face as if he didn't want to watch.

Severus was worried about Harry. He thought about what Harry had just said and came to the conclusion that Harry did have a disadvantage to having his guardian at school to watch over him while the other students did not have to worry over such matters. If this would make the boy stay in bed then it was worth conceding.

"Mr. Potter I will rethink my decision, however you must reside in bed the rest of the day."

"Yes sir," Harry said as he watched his friends look of astonishment. _At least they won't hate Snape now._

"Fine." Snape turned towards the three Gryffindor, "You may go but the next time you visit Mr. Potter remember that he needs to get plenty of rest and remain-in-his-bed ," Snape said firmly.

"Thank you sir," Ron and Seamus said with surprised expressions as they escorted Neville out the door.

Harry looked up to the Professor with gratitude.

"Sorry I disobeyed you, sir."

"Harry, I am trying not to be so strict with you but there is certain behavior that I will-not-tolerate. One of them being your utter lack of concern for your own health. I will not stand for you putting your health in further jeopardy. If you disobey me again I will be forced to punish you." Snape wanted to make sure Harry understood completely.

"Yes sir," Harry said as he rolled onto his side, looking away from the professor. _What did Snape mean by "punish"?_

Snape reached a hand out to Harry's shoulder and the boy moved purposely away.

"Are you angry with me?" Snape asked with surprise. _What did I do? Didn't I just let his friends out of detention?_

"No. And you don't have to stay and baby-sit me, you know." Harry's voice clearly had an edge to it.

"Harry, I have another class to teach at the present time and do not have the time nor the patience to try and figure out this teenage angst you are displaying. Now, why are you angry with me?"

"Just leave me alone. I'll do what you say and stay in bed," Harry said as he began to feel his stomach hurt again.

Snape was at a total loss as to what he should do with this angry teen. This wasn't familiar territory for him. Usually he didn't give a second thought to any of his students feelings and the students certainly would not speak to him with such disrespect

"Harry get some rest and we will discuss this when I return," Snape said as he thought he would pay a visit to Molly for parenting advice before returning to the infirmary after class. Severus reached for Harry's shoulder again and gave it a little pat.

Just as Snape was approaching the infirmary doors he heard Harry call his name . Snape walked back and stood at the foot of the bed. "Yes, Mr. Potter?" Snape watched as Harry grabbed his stomach and panted with pain. Snape knew that Harry had overexerted himself and would now have to pay the price.

Harry didn't really know why he had called Severus back. He had been angry over Snape saying he would "punish" him for not staying in bed. But the more he thought about it, the more he knew that Snape wouldn't hurt him. Now he didn't know what to say but didn't want Snape to leave thinking he was still mad at him.

"Harry is there something I could do for you?" The Professor was a little confused as to why the boy had called him back.

"I'm sorry," came a near whisper.

Snape walked around to the bedside and pulled the chair closer to Harry and sat down. Harry reached over and grabbed the professor's hand without saying anything else. Severus understood completely and held on tighter to Harry's hand.

Severus called Madame Pomfrey over.

"Poppy could you please ask Professor Flitwick to take over my class? My son and I need to spend some time together," Snape stated proudly with a slight grin towards Harry.

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Well, another week on this ship and I'm home again. Thank you for the reviews, I needed to hear your kind words after the past few days. I can honestly say this was one of the worst runs on a ship I've had. It makes me rethink my job. Two people actually got thrown in the brig. I'm feeling a little sick to my stomach as the ship has been hitting rough waters. We're back in Miami and starting a new run tonight and then I'm back home. Your reviews are great to come home to.


	21. Chapter 21

-1Note: I changed quite a bit in the first two chapters because someone wrote that there wasn't enough motivation for Vernon to abuse Harry. Another thing I did was to take out the girls in chapter two and just use one new character. I originally thought I would use those characters in other parts of the story but changed my mind. So if you get a chance read it and let me know what you think. 1/11/06

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The infirmary was quiet and Madame Pomfrey still had not come back from her lunch. Snape had decided he would skip class to sit with Harry and make sure the boy got the rest he needed to insure the antidote worked properly. Snape thought about the antidote once again and the note from Vespa.

He couldn't believe that his Aunt took him for such a spineless fool. Did she honestly think he would just let her run his life and not retaliate? Snape thought back to the so called "commands" she had issued. The first one telling him not to adopt Harry was absolutely absurd. There wasn't anything or anyone who could stand in the way of the adoption. The second was beyond his realm of futility. Did Vespa honestly think that he would stand by and let Sir Stanton tell him what to do? Hah, that would be the day! There wasn't a wizard or witch alive who could make him do anything he didn't want to do.

The real problem was that Harry had to have that antidote every three days to neutralize the poison in his system. Snape had never seen a poison like that in all his years as a Potion Master. He remembered talk within the family about Vespa's greatness at being a Potion Master in her younger days. He thought she had given it up but now knew she had been working on more sinister potions. He knew that whatever poison she had given Harry would be something of her own making. Duplicating the antidote would take time but he hoped he could eventually do it. The biggest problem was how he was going to get the poison out of Harry's system so the boy wouldn't have to keep taking the antidote the rest of his life? Snape felt horrible for putting the boy in the middle of this family feud, however unintentional it was.

Snape thought about Harry and how emotional he had been earlier. _Was the boy just suffering from the side effects of the poison or had he really been angry? This teen anxiety is not my area of expertise._

Snape saw Harry startle awake and quickly took hold of his hand to let him know he was safe. Harry closed his eyes again and relaxed. Snape watched the boy and tried to remember what it was that had made Harry angry with him earlier. Snape thought maybe it had something to do with him saying that he was going to 'punish' Harry if the boy got out of his bed again. _No, that could not be it, surely Harry knows I will have rules to abide by. _

Snape looked at Harry and saw he was awake now and staring off with a thoughtful expression.

"How does your stomach feel Harry?"

"Okay, better then yesterday. Professor?"

"Yes?"

"I really am sorry about how I acted earlier."

"Harry why did it upset you so much when I said I was going to punish you?" Snape asked with the hope of opening the off limits subject.

Harry didn't say anything but just shook his head.

"You do know that you will get punished for not abiding by the rules I set forth, do you not?"

Harry looked towards the Professor with a distressed expression and said, "Yes sir."

"But you also know that I will never hurt you physically or take meals away or make you sleep in a cupboard, right?" Snape wanted to make sure Harry understood he would no longer be subjected to abuse.

Harry closed his eyes and said, "Yeah, I know Professor. It's just hard… you know, to forget."

Snape thought that sounded reasonable after all the boy had been through. Maybe he should push the topic a little more and get Harry to open up about the Dursley's.

"What did you imagine I was going to do to you when I said I would punish you?"

"I don't really want to talk about it okay?" Harry's scratchy voice said with sadness.

"You shouldn't pretend like it never happened though. Perhaps you could enlighten me on how you came to get that cut on your back?" Snape knew he was pushing the boy but needed to hear Harry say it.

"I can't remember," Harry said and let go of the Professor's hand.

Snape's heart skipped a beat as he hoped that Harry was lying about not remembering. Snape knew that if Harry truly couldn't remember, then the boy had bigger emotional scars than anyone knew.

"Harry you do not need to conceal it from me. I saw everything. I saw every bruise and broken bone and that dreadful cut on your back," Snape persisted.

Harry sunk further into the blankets and shook his head as if in denial. "I'm tired, kay?"

Snape wasn't about to let the boy off the hook that easily. "You'll sleep much better if you stop pushing down all the memories and begin to talk with me. It isn't healthy to pretend like nothing ever happened Harry."

Harry scrunched his eyes as a sudden memory flashed in his head. _Boy you're going to pay for all the bad things you do! Please Uncle Vernon please, I'm trying so hard to change! _

Snape watched as Harry broke out in a cold sweat and pulled the covers tighter around himself.

"Harry talk to me. Tell me." Snape implored as he reached for Harry's hand again and rubbed the back of it with his thumb.

Harry made himself push the memory back down and away. No, he wouldn't talk about it. He didn't want to have to relive the terrible things that happened. He shook his head and said, "Severus please, please don't make me say it. It didn't happen, nothing happened anyways."

_Oh Merlin, Harry was suppressing the abuse! _Snape was at a loss and didn't want to push the boy further than he could handle.

Snape put his other hand on Harry's face and said, "I will not persist but I will not let you deny what happened. It would not be beneficial to your well being. I will be with you every step of the way but it is a journey you **must **take."

"I'm tired, I'm really tired," Harry said in a panicked voice and moved away from Snape's touch, pushing the Professor's hand away from his face. He didn't want anyone touching him.

Snape knew he had pushed the boy too far and felt bad for that. If the boy wasn't ready to talk then maybe he shouldn't persist further. Snape placed a hand on Harry's face again and felt the boy tremor.

Snape said, "Harry it's okay. You're safe and we won't talk about this any further. Relax now and get some sleep." It was eerie how the boy seemed to just obey and stop shaking. He watched as Harry soon fell into a deep sleep.

_Oh Merlin, this was going to be a hard task. The boy was too frightened to even think about what happened. _Truth be told, Snape was frightened to hear it.

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Harry was in a deep sleep when Voldemort suddenly invaded his dreams. Harry watched in horror as _Hermione and Ginny walked into Honeydukes candy store and a dark cloaked figure followed them in. Suddenly the figure grabbed Ginny as Hermione's back was turned. Ginny kicked and tried to scream but the dark figure covered her mouth and held her tight as he fled the store. _Harry's scar burned with pain.

Harry woke up with a start and looked around for help. He needed to get someone to help him find Ginny and quick. Harry scrambled out of bed and was running towards the infirmary doors when they swung open and Ron and Neville walked in.

"Ron, I think a Death Eater has Ginny! Quick we have to get to Hogsmeade!" Harry said in a panic.

Ron looked totally confused and said, "Harry calm down, I just left Ginny by the lake and she wasn't going into Hogsmeade. What happened to make you think she was taken?"

"I-I had this … vision or something and it felt so real. I dunno I think it was Voldemort. Are you sure Ron, are you really sure Ginny is okay?" Harry pressed his fingers to the scar in hopes that would dull the pain a bit.

"I'm sure Harry. I just saw her and she was going to finish her homework with Hermione down by the lake."

"Ron I have to see her for myself. It was so real and maybe she changed her mind and went to Hogsmeade," Harry said with panic still in his voice.

"Harry you know Professor Snape wanted you to stay in bed. Why don't I go get Ginny and bring her back here?"

"No! I need to see right now. It already could be too late," Harry said as he grabbed his bathrobe off the bed and stepped into his slippers.

Harry led the way down the corridor and down to the main entrance. Several students stopped to stare at him and a few said hi but Harry ignored everyone and kept his quick pace up to find Ginny. As he reached the entrance, Ginny and Hermione walked through the doors.

"Harry your up! I thought you weren't supposed to get out of bed?" Hermione asked with a hint of sternness to her voice.

Harry was shocked but relieved to see his friends. _It must have been another false vision, like the one with Sirius at the ministry! It just felt so real._

"I was just coming down to see you," Harry said and gave a quick look towards Ron. He hoped Ron would not mention the vision Harry just had. It was already embarrassing enough and the last thing he needed was for Snape to find out.

Just as he thought that, he felt a hand on his shoulder and a firm squeeze.

"Mr. Potter I am at a loss. What is it going to take to keep you in bed?" Snape said in a very controlled voice. Harry knew that voice to be the most dangerous one and things weren't looking so good for him right now.

Harry turned around towards Snape and tried to come up with an excuse without revealing the vision. If Snape found out he was having false visions from Voldemort again, Harry knew the Professor would force him into occlumency lessons once again. That was the last thing Harry wanted. It was hard enough trying to forget all the things Vernon did to him without having Snape sift through his memories and bring them back up.

"Erm, I-I just needed to get something from the kitchens to eat."

"Mr. Potter do you think me a fool?" Snape asked as he looked at the rest of the students and then back at Harry. _What are they up to now?_

Harry wasn't sure if he was supposed to answer that so he just looked down at his feet.

"I will bring you food, however you must get back to bed," Snape watched as the other Gryffindor said goodbye to Harry.

Snape followed Harry back up to the infirmary and said a spell. A bowl of hot soup appeared on the nightstand. Harry could smell the chicken soup and it turned his stomach. Suddenly he wished he had come up with a different lie to tell the Professor.

"Erm, Professor?"

"Yes."

"I'm not really hungry anymore," Harry said as a wave of nausea hit him.

"Well, that's too bad isn't it? If you were so hungry you had to ignore all my orders and roam the corridors with your friends to get food, then you are hungry enough to eat this," Snape said angrily and held a spoonful of soup to Harry's mouth.

Harry grabbed the spoon and the soup sloshed off onto his covers. He took another spoonful and began to begrudgingly eat. After the fourth spoonful his stomach rebelled and he vomited all over his covers. Snape looked disgusted as he waved his wand over the mess and it disappeared.

"Have we had enough of this farce? Why don't you tell me why you were really roaming the hallways?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and looked out the window, embarrassed by the whole incident. He lay further down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Mr. Potter I have another class to attend to and I no longer trust that you are sensible enough to adhere to simple instructions. Therefore, I am going to put a spell on the covers to keep you from wandering." Snape said a few words and flicked his wand towards Harry.

Harry tried to push the covers off but they remained firmly in place.

"Severus you can't do this!" Harry tried to scream out but it came out in more of a strangled whisper. He fought against the covers but they became tighter.

Severus had no idea the panic the boy was feeling. Snape turned on his heel and strode out the door with robes billowing behind.

"Severus come back!" came Harry's panicked voice as the doors to the infirmary closed firmly.

Being forcefully held against the bed triggered something in Harry's mind. It was like the floodgates had been opened and all the memories of Vernon came at him in full force.

Harry fought against the covers as his mind raced back to Privet Dr. and the punishments Vernon inflicted on him.

_A flash of memory: _

_being tied to the bed_

_the heavy belt,_

_the short silver knife_

Harry lost all conscious thought of where he was and held still without crying out as he had been taught by Uncle Vernon.

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An hour later Madame Pomfrey came into the infirmary and checked on Harry. She saw him lying still and his eye's wide open.

"Mr. Potter, how are you feeling?" The nurse checked Harry's temperature and still the boy didn't answer.

"Mr. Potter, are you alright?" No answer came forth. "Mr. Potter I am not playing with you, now answer my question!" Nothing.

Madame Pomfrey ran out into the hall and grabbed the first student she saw.

"Go down to the dungeons and tell Professor Snape that he is needed immediately!"

Within a few minutes Snape ran through the infirmary doors. He shot a look towards Harry and saw that he was not moving. "What happened? Why isn't he moving?"

Madame Pomfrey told him how she had found Harry unresponsive.

Snape grabbed Harry's face and looked at his eyes. "Harry? Harry answer me!" The boy stared without seeing. He was in a catatonic state. "What happened? Who did this?" Snape asked fiercely.

"I don't know Severus, this is how I found him." Madame Pomfrey ran to the floo and called Dumbledore.

Severus checked to see if the magical spell he had placed on Harry's blankets had been broken. He waved his wand over the bed and found that the spell was still intact.

Dumbledore came into the room and went directly over to Harry. Harry was not moving and he looked into the boy's unseeing eyes. He held Harry's face in his hands and closed his own eyes while reciting a spell. He was reading Harry's mind and trying to find out what had put Harry into this state. Dumbledore was appaled at what he saw and his hands shook a little as he released Harry's face. He had his answer to Harry's catatonic state.

"Severus, I think you should use your legillimens on Mr. Potter. He seems to have fallen into a state of shock that would best be explained by you looking into his current thoughts," Dumbledore said with an angry edge to his voice. He was actually quite upset that Snape had forced the boy to stay in bed by magical means and wanted Severus to see the damage it had caused the boy.

Snape looked to the Head Master with confusion but pulled out his wand and stood next to Harry. He pointed his wand at Harry's head and said, "Legillimens!"

Snape was plunged into the pits of hell. _He saw Harry being tied to a bed and Vernon Dursley coming towards him with a knife. He could feel Harry's fear and see the boy shake uncontrollably in his mind. He could feel Harry struggle with holding back his cries of pain. Suddenly the memory was pushed down into blackness and Harry's owl came into view. The owl sat silently and stared at the boy with fear. A flash of Dursley came racing back and a belt being swung. Back to blackness again. The owl staring back. The shiny knife and an angry Dursley flashed through the boy's thoughts again but were quickly pushed down and the owl reappeared. _

He had the overwhelming feeling that Harry was trying to keep the owl safe and was pushing the abuse he suffered out of his memories to do it. Snape begun to make sense of the thoughts and memories Harry was going through.

Harry was protecting his owl by not admitting to being abused by Dursley. Dursley must be holding Harry's owl to keep the boy quiet. The despicable man was black mailing Harry with his beloved owl as hostage!

_Snape tried to get Harry's attention while in his memories but the boy was so far gone that he didn't seem to comprehend. _Finally Snape pushed himself out of Harry's memories and found himself on his knees next to Harry's bed.

Snape quickly stood up and faced Dumbledore. "I did this to him! I didn't know Dursley used to tie Harry to a bed and torture him! I didn't know Albus! I never would have kept Harry in his bed by force if I had known," Snape's voice broke and he felt miserable for causing Harry to withdraw completely and relive the hell he had been through.

Dumbledore stood watching the man before him berate himself and take the blame for Harry's current state.

"Professor, I know you didn't do this on purpose but we are dealing with a severely abused boy. You can not apply the same standards to him as you once were able to. Furthermore, it is not prudent to use physical means to make him abide by your rules," Dumbledore said as he watched the Professor compose himself once again.

"I know what I have to do Albus! I know how to make Harry come back to us. I need to go back to Privet Dr. and get his owl back!" Snape said with determination.

"Severus you have been banned from going back to Privet Dr.. If the ministry finds out they will put you in jail." Dumbledore said as he too tried to come up with a plan to get Harry's owl back.

"Albus I don't care where they send me as long as Harry comes out of this state of shock! I'm going back to Privet Dr.!" Snape said and stormed over to the fireplace. He threw floo powder into the fire. "Number four Privet Dr.!" Snape said and stepped into the floo.

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Vernon had been home everyday since he had been fired from his job. He had actually started missing his 'lessons' with the boy. They had helped him to release his pent up frustrations at the world and how unfair it was. Vernon thought it quite unjust that he had been so kind to an orphaned boy and taken him in, only to have been accused of abusing him. Hell, he had only been trying to teach him a few lessons. Vernon also thought it unfair that his own wife was starting to nag him about getting a job. Hadn't he worked harder than anyone and paid all the bills for years. Vernon felt he deserved a bit of a break. Vernon decided to go up to his room and take a well deserved nap.

Vernon entered his bedroom and froze. Sitting on his bed was an angry dark haired man with a long black cloak and a wand in his hand.

"You get out now! I-I'll call the police or Sir Stanton or whoever it is that puts your type in jail!" Vernon sputtered out with fright. Snape flicked his wand towards the large man and Vernon floated sideways over to the bed. He rose higher and higher until his stomach was touching the ceiling above the bed.

Vernon tried to scream but nothing came out. He tried to move his arms but he couldn't as they felt frozen to his sides. Snape flicked his wand again and Vernon crashed down to the bed with a terrible thud. Vernon watched in horror as the man in black ripped his shirt open, exposing his big stomach and sagging chest. Vernon was so frightened now that he actually urinated in his pants. He watched as the man slowly flicked his wand and a whip appeared hovering over Vernon's body. The black cloaked man raised a hand and let it fall down to his side. At that precise moment the whip began to beat upon Vernon's chest and stomach painfully. Vernon screamed silently and tried to plead with the man to make it stop. After several long minutes the whip stopped but the man pulled out a small silver knife.

Vernon shook his head violently from side to side trying to make the man understand something. The man approached him and placed the knife next to his rib cage. Suddenly the man pulled out his wand and placed it to the side of Vernon's head and said, "Legillimens," in a dark eerie voice. Vernon didn't understand what that meant but he felt a tickle in his brain and screamed silently for it to stop.

Snape probed Vernon's thoughts until he came to Hedwig and where he would find her now. Snape had intended to just scare Vernon with the knife but after probing his thoughts and memories Snape changed his mind. He had witnessed Vernon abusing Harry and now Vernon would pay dearly for hurting the boy. Snape was furious and felt as if he might need to kill Vernon.

The black cloaked man made his way to the bedroom door and slowly closed it and locked it and returned back to Vernon.

Ten minutes later Snape emerged from the room with a look of utter disgust. He walked into the hallway and slid open the passage to the attic. He reached up and pulled the ladder down. It only took a minute to locate the sickly white owl. With the greatest care possible Snape held the owl close to his body and spoke softly to calm the frightened pet. He spoke of Harry and Harry's great need for the pet especially at the present time. The owl seemed to calm at the sound of her master's name.

Snape flicked his wand and said a spell at the closed door that Vernon now resided behind. He went down to the first floor and threw a handful of floo powder into the fire. Snape emerged in Dumbledore's office and made his way down to the infirmary. He was feeling quite satisfied with the punishment he had inflicted on Dursley. It had felt good to exact his revenge on the man, even if he hadn't quite killed him.

When Snape walked through the infirmary doors he had no idea the emotional flood that would hit him at the sight of his future son. He had seen the torture the boy had endured, he had felt the fear and humilation the boy had went through and wondered how Harry could even be sound after that abuse. Snape's heart just broke at the sight of the catatonic boy and wanted to fix things for him and make them right.

Dumbledore placed a hand on Severus' shoulder and gave a slight squeeze then left them to some privacy.

Snape was alone with Harry and his heart felt heavy at seeing the boy look so lost. He sat down on the side of the bed and began to talk about Hedwig.

"Harry, I have someone here who needs you," Snape said as he placed the tired sick bird on Harry's stomach and placed one of the boy's hands on top of it.

"Harry your friend needs you more than ever. She needs to know that you are coming back to us."

Snape saw a small movement as Harry's finger moved by Hedwig.

"Yes son, Hedwig is back and you need not hide any longer. Your owl needs you now more than ever. Harry, I need you now. I can not imagine life without you in it son. I haven't even had the pleasure of taking you to Quiddich games or watching you ride that Wizard Board again. Its time to come back." Severus dropped his head in his hands and felt a deep sense of loss over seeing Harry like that. Just then he saw another flicker from Harry's hand.

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I hope that wasn't too hard to read.

Thanks for the reviews again. I am on my last week of cruises before I return home and can not wait to see my family again. There was this weird guy following me around all day today and I saw him again before coming down to send this off. He was taking pictures on deck and I saw him pointing the camera at me every time he thought I wasn't watching. I could see in the reflection in the window though. Then I went down to the staff bar and when I came out he was there again. I think I'll have to call security to check him out. Yuck! I hate it when weird things happen.

Okay after reading the reviews I thought I better tone the story down a little. I think I get carried away with the hurt/comfort thing. Anyway let me know if you think I should or not.

Take care and have a great day!


	22. Chapter 22

Snape had placed Hedwig on Harry's chest and put Harry's hand a top of the owl. Harry had not improved since Snape had last seen him and was still in a deep sleep that they were not able to wake him from. He now knew exactly what nightmares Harry was re-living and couldn't be awaken from. The thought of Harry going through the torture Snape had witnessed through Vernon's memory made Snape wish he had killed Dursley. He hoped Harry would somehow feel the owl's presence and know that the owl was safe now. Severus knew the bird was special to Harry but never really had any idea the length the boy would go through to protect her. He had thought when Harry returned to the Dursley's this summer Harry had taken care of the bird and everything was fine. He had no idea that the boy was denying the torture he suffered at the hands of his uncle because of the owl. He had no idea Dursley would stoop so low as to keep Hedwig hostage to shut the boy up.

Hedwig had a magical connection to her master and seemed to let her master know she was safe and with him now. Harry gave himself permission to let go of the secrets he had been forced to keep and begin to break through the awful memories he was reliving. Harry slowly woke up from his nightmares and after a few hours he opened his eyes.

Snape was sitting next to Harry with his hand on the boy's shoulder and had been watching as Hedwig suddenly stood straight up and stretched her long white wings with a few flaps. The bird was really quite extraordinary and seemed to look into your very soul at times. Snape finally looked back at Harry's face and saw the boy looking up at the ceiling once again.

"Your back with us," Snape stated expelling a deep breath, clearly relieved.

Harry blinked a few times and held tighter to Hedwig. He didn't say anything but continued looking up and stroking the owl gently.

Snape reached for Harry's hair to push it off his forehead but Harry jerked away from his touch, frightening the owl in the process. Hedwig still hadn't made a sound but she fluttered off Harry's chest and up to the headboard of the infirmary bed. Harry seemed startled at the bird's sudden movements and had a fleeting panicked expression on his face, but his expression quickly turned angry once he looked towards the Professor.

"Harry are you okay?" Snape asked in a quiet voice.

Harry gave him a look of loathing and turned his head towards the window without answering. Deep inside Harry longed for that safe feeling that he had when the Professor was around but he didn't think he could trust Snape anymore. Being bound to the bed had been the worse torture Snape could have inflicted on him. All those bad memories were no longer suppressed but were now fresh in Harry's mind. He could almost feel the welts on his chest and stomach again and actually stuck his hand in his pajama shirt. There weren't any wounds left but Harry remembered every single one as if it were yesterday. He blamed Snape for opening up the floodgates and making it impossible to push the memories away any longer.

Harry had been relieved beyond measure at having Hedwig back and that was some solace at least. Hedwig flapped her snowy white wings again and pecked at Harry's ear. Harry reached over to his nightstand and fished out a piece of chicken from the soup he hadn't eaten earlier. The bird ate with gusto and Harry knew she probably hadn't been fed properly.

"Harry I am truly sorry for putting that spell on the covers to keep you in bed. I had no idea you would react so severely. If I could take it back I would. Please do not look at me like that. I had no idea your uncle bound you to the bed," Snape supplicated in a quiet voice.

Harry suddenly sat upright and faced the professor, "How the bloody hell do you know about that?" Harry was humiliated that anyone else would know what had happened to him in the bedroom.

"I went to see your Uncle Vernon," Snape said in a quieter voice.

Harry quickly squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head as if he was trying to rid himself of the bad memories. He was mortified beyond belief that Snape now knew all his secrets and had probably looked through Vernon's memories as well. Harry was so ashamed that Snape had seen everything.

"Harry listen, I took care of him. He can not hurt you ever again."

Harry welled up with rage at those words and shouted, "Oh yeah! I've heard those words before. I don't trust you Severus! How can you even say that you took care of Uncle Vernon? Believe me he always has the last say and I have no doubt I'll be back at the Dursley's again! So just get the bloody hell out of here and leave me the fuck alone!"

Snape was shocked at the way Harry had just spoken to him. It took him a moment to compose himself. Did Harry actually think Dursley would get hold of him again and Snape would let him? The more Snape thought about it the more he could see how Harry might think that. Judging from the past Snape had been helpless at keeping Harry away from Vernon.

Snape's look of shock disappeared as he knew he had to be the parent in this situation and took on a look of sternness, "Mr. Potter, I am not only a professor at this school but also your guardian. I will not be spoken to in that manner. I will let it pass this one time but that is only due to the recent situation. If this had been any other time you would be in grave trouble."

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do to me huh? Now that you saw how I was treated at the Dursley's you can pick from a whole bunch of ways to torture me. Why not beat me with a belt buckle or burn me with a cigarette or better yet, why not stab me with a knife! Anyone of those will get me to do what you want!" Harry's voice was giving out again and the last came out in an emotional raspy voice.

Snape reached for his hand again and Harry moved it quickly. "Harry I do care what happens to you."

"Just stop Severus, just stop pretending to care. I don't think I want you taking care of me anymore. It just hurts too much," Harry was so furious he was panting and trying to catch his breath. "At least when you used to treat me like dirt I knew where I stood with you."

"What in Merlin's name are you going on about?" Snape could not believe that Harry actually thought he didn't care. "How could you even question my concern for you?"

"I'm not so sure Mrs. Weasley would have bound her kids to the bed, and I can't imagine Mrs. Granger forcing Hermione to do something the way you just did to me. Why did you do that Severus? Why did you force me like that? You don't even know how it felt to have all the bad memories come back at me like that. It felt worse than dying and** you **did it to me! I just hate you and want you to get away from me!"

"I had absolutely no idea you would react that way!"

Snape was hurt by Harry's accusations, this was getting too painful. He was not prepared for the emotions he would be feeling for Harry. He had never felt the need to protect anyone like he did for Harry.

"Do you wish me to leave?" Snape hoped Harry said no but knew what the boy would say before he said it.

"Yeah," Harry said with force as he wiped at a tear that had escaped.

At this point Snape thought maybe the boy needed more time to digest the situation. Snape hoped Harry would calm down and realize just how much he really did care for him. He actually felt heaviness on his heart at leaving the boy so angry at him. As much as he did not want to leave Harry on his own he decided to go back down to the dungeon and work on duplicating the antidote. He slowly stood up and stopped at the foot of the bed.

"Harry I hope you come to the conclusion that I had no intention of doing such psychological harm to you. I never would have forced you to the bed if I had known. Nor would I ever hurt you, ever! We have so much to talk about and I want to be there for you but you have to forgive me, once again. I don't want to keep upsetting you so I won't come to you unless you ask me to. But know this, I am still your guardian and will still be watching out for you. I just wish you would let me be a father too," With that said Severus walked out the door and headed down to the dungeons.

Harry was so confused and upset at everything. He turned onto his stomach and punched his pillow then collapsed on it and cried. The memories were so fresh and now he had no one to be there with him. He was so angry at Snape for ruining everything and angry at himself for being so scared.

A little later after he had calmed down and ordered food for Hedwig, his friends came in to say good night and stayed until Madame Pomfrey kicked them out. They had asked about Snape and Harry gave a non committal reply about his whereabouts. Truthfully Harry thought the Potion teacher had probably just got tired of him and decided this father thing wasn't worth the time.

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The next morning Hedwig came flying up to Harry's bed and gave him a nip on the ear to wake him. Harry sat straight up and looked closely at Hedwig. She seemed much stronger and healthier already. Harry figured it was because of Hagrid's magical care for her. Harry had sent Hedwig down to Hagrid last night to be checked over and healed. Now the bird looked great and Harry felt pretty good himself.

Madame Pomfrey walked in and assessed the Gryffindor carefully. She had received a long list from Severus this morning on symptoms to watch for. Finally after a good hour she simply said, "Well Mr. Potter I think you may attend classes today."

Harry was excited beyond belief. He couldn't wait to get out of here and see all his friends again. He quickly threw his legs over the side of the bed and was just about to stand when Madame Pomfrey put a hand to his chest.

"Just a minute young man. There are whole lists of rules you must abide by or end up back here again! First Professor Snape says you must eat at least three **full **meals a day. Second you must get your full eight hours of sleep and lastly if any sort of odd pain occurs you must promise to tell the professor or myself. Is that understood?" Madame Pomfrey said and was mildly curious as to why the Professor had given her the list instead of telling Potter himself.

"Yes Madame Pomfrey," Harry said as he leapt out of the bed. He headed to the bathroom to shower and change into the school uniform Snape must have brought in for him last night while he was sleeping.

Harry held the uniform in his hands and knew this was another brand new set that Snape must of just had made. He picked up his cloak and saw the fur lining and silver Gryffindor clasp on it. He still wasn't used to someone actually buying him new clothes and caring that he should actually look nice. The Dursley's had never given a care to how he looked and had even told him how ashamed of him they were. Harry looked at the handmade shirt and saw his initials sewn inside. He felt so hollow and alone, almost as if he were missing something very important to him.

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Harry walked into the Great Hall for breakfast feeling as if every eye in the place was on him. As he scanned the room he found that he was right, almost everyone was staring at him. He spotted Hermione and Ron at the long table and made his way towards them. Suddenly Lavender Brown got up and came at him with her arms outstretched.

"Oh Harry, it's so good to see you back! We were so worried."

Before Harry knew what was happening he was surrounded by girls giving him hugs and kisses and welcoming him back. He really had no idea the drama his disappearance had caused the school.

Up at the teacher's table Professor Snape had been waiting for Harry's arrival and was surprised by the welcome he received. It almost looked as if Harry was having trouble getting himself away from the group of girls that seemed to be getting even larger. Snape caught Ron's attention and nodded towards Harry. Ron stood up and looked at what the Professor was indicating and knew right away his friend needed help. He nodded at the professor as he walked by the head table and made his way to Harry.

Harry tried to untangle himself from the now large group but was having trouble when Ron suddenly appeared at his side and grasped his arm.

"Alright everyone let the man through. The poor bloke hasn't even had a chance to eat yet," Ron yelled as he pulled him through the crowd and pushed Harry towards the open seat next to Hermione. Harry stumbled into the bench and quickly sat down with gratitude towards Ron.

"Blimey Harry, I think you need body guards to walk the halls now! If I had known disappearing would cause that kind of thing I would have done it ages ago," Ron laughed as he sat back down to finish his breakfast.

"Ronald, what happened to Harry was serious. Don't kid about it, he almost died," Hermione admonished.

Ron just gave Hermione a smirk and continued eating his ham and eggs.

Harry spoke up, "Hermione, don't make it seem so dramatic. I'm still here aren't I?"

Ron looked to Harry with a grin and passed him the toast. Harry had just taken a bite of toast when he was grabbed from behind by Luna. Luna sat the rest of the breakfast with them and told the trio about all the Harry Potter sightings her father had heard about. Her father ran a newspaper and had been flooded with owls when Harry's disappearance had been reported. There were sightings of him from Hogsmeade to America. She made Harry laugh when she told of the sighting of him on a secret pirate ship in the Red Sea. He had no idea he had been such big news.

When breakfast was over they made their way to Transfiguration with Neville and Dean. If Ron and Hermione had not been standing on either side of Harry he probably wouldn't have made it to class on time. Every few steps he was stopped and welcomed back or asked for an autograph. Finally Hermione was in such a panic at being late she made Harry's friends form a circle around him and wouldn't let anyone stop them to talk as they made there way to the classroom.

Harry was happy to be amongst his friends again and even began to push away some of the dark memories he constantly felt creeping in on him. He had a hard time concentrating during transfiguration and failed several attempts at turning a rock into a snapping frog. His rock wouldn't budge and he finally gave up hope of it changing, earning himself extra homework.

School work didn't get any better for Harry in Herbology. He had a hard time pushing the memories away and actually flinched when Ron threw an arm over his shoulder. Harry laughed it off but was actually humiliated by the way he had reacted to a friend's hug. Ron had looked at him with an understanding look that made everything even worse for Harry.

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The last class of the day was Potions and Harry thought about not going but knew Snape would come looking for him. In the end he decided to go sit in the very back of the class with Dean and Neville. When Snape entered he was in a foul mood and within minutes took points from Gryffindor for some small thing Neville did. Harry kept his head down and was sure not to make eye contact with the professor. He went to get the needed ingredients from the front of the class for the potion they were working on and had another run in with Crabbe.

As he was walking back to his seat Crabbe stuck his foot out and tripped him. Harry stumbled forward but didn't fall. However his tuberworms flew out of his jar and landed on the floor. He gave Crabbe an angry look but wasn't in the mood to get into a fight. He noticed Malfoy hadn't joined in on the sniggering that followed and was actually looking down. It was an odd reaction from the Slytherin and Harry thought it might have something to do with Malfoy still believing he had hit Harry with the Cructiatus Curse. Harry hadn't said anything to anyone about it and had actually forgotten it happened.

Some of the other students, mainly girls, helped Harry collect the squirming worms and place them back in his jar. Harry thanked them and went back to his chair feeling like the day couldn't get any worse.

Harry and Neville's potion had not turned out as it was supposed to. The potion was supposed to turn yellow but theirs was blue and had black smoke billowing out into the air. Within seconds it boiled over and the blue goo ran down the sides of the cauldron onto the table and floor. Harry didn't know how to stop it. He was panicking as the thick black smoke began to fill the classroom so much that he couldn't even see Neville sitting next to him anymore.

Snape marched to the back of the class with a furious look on his face and snarled out, "Who did this? What brainless idiot put fernweed in this potion instead of fenweed!"

Snape raised his wand and the black smoke and blue goo disappeared. Snape saw Harry standing in front of him and instantly knew this had been Harry's mistake by the look of terror on the boy's face. Snape froze as Harry quickly looked down. The whole class was silent and watching to see how Harry's guardian would react to him. By now the whole school knew that Snape was adopting Harry and most wondered if Harry would get special treatment now.

"Well Mr. Potter it seems that your mind must be elsewhere. This is a mistake I would expect from a first year or even Longbottom here but I most definitely did not expect this from you," Snape watched as Harry's look of fear turned to one of defiance and was glad the boy still had enough courage to get angry back at him. He hated to goad the boy into anger but wanted to see how damaged he really was. Several of the teachers had reported to Severus how Harry was disconnected and despondent in class today.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Harry said with irritation.

"You will address me as Professor or Sir," Snape said sternly.

Harry took a deep breath and looked the professor in the eye, "I didn't do it on purpose, **Sir**."

"Well Mr. Potter, I believe you are in need of attending remedial potions class tomorrow during your free period. Perhaps that will help get your brain working once again."

"But Severus I have Quiddich tomorrow during free time and lunch!" Harry blurted out without thinking. Several students gasped at the use of the Potion Master's first name.

"I gave Madame Pomfrey firm orders that **if **you were released from the infirmary that you were to eat three full meals a day. Already you are disobeying my orders and skipping lunch?" Snape knew Harry would be taking the next dose of the antidote tomorrow evening and wanted to make sure the boy didn't make himself sick by not eating.

"Dunno, I guess I hadn't thought about it. I was just so excited to ride my broom that I thought …"

Snape suddenly cut him off, "Ride your broom? Who says you are well enough to fly? I do not remember giving you permission to fly yet Mr. Potter!"

"But you have to … I mean, please Professor. It's really important to me," Harry pleaded, totally oblivious the entire class was witnessing the exchange between the two.

"Mr. Potter you are not fully recovered as of yet and I will not put your health at risk."

Harry looked down and mumbled out, "You just want to keep making my life more miserable."

"Stop mumbling and look up when you speak to me. Furthermore, you had better think about what you just said before repeating it," Snape said rather harshly and took a threatening step closer to Harry.

Harry backed up but did look the professor in the eye, "You just don't understand. What if I just play for half the practice and I promise I won't over do it and I won't fly too fast or …"

Snape cut him off again, "Potter stop begging, it is not fitting and it will not change my mind."

"I'm not begging, I'm just … why do you have to be so strict with me? It's just flying sir, its not like I'm going out to fight Voldemort or something!"

Both Severus and Harry heard loud gasps from the class at the use of the Dark Lord's name.

Harry looked around for the first time and noticed that everyone was watching. His face flushed with embarrassment and he quickly looked down again.

Severus looked around and was also surprised the entire exchange had been witnessed by the whole class. He stood up straighter and turned towards the students with a scowl on his face. The students quickly went back to their work.

Snape turned back towards Harry once again and said in a much quieter voice, "My decision stands. I will not put your health at risk for a ridiculous game."

Harry was angry that Snape was being so stubborn and said without thinking, "I wouldn't be sick if it wasn't for you!" Harry grabbed his book bag and raced to the door leaving behind a shocked and wounded Snape.

Snape quickly recovered from Harry's words and called out, "Mr. Potter stop!"

Harry froze as he once again was reminded of Vernon's strict punishment for walking away without permission. He slowly turned back to the Professor as Snape strode towards him. Harry unknowingly took a few steps back as the professor approached and clearly had fear in his eyes.

The fear in Harry's eyes made Severus stop short and calm down a bit. The last thing he wanted was to scare him. Harry's last words had actually had an impact on Snape. He had been feeling very guilty over the harm his own aunt had put Harry in and did want to make up for it in some way.

"It seems we have come to an impasse Mr. Potter. First off I will not tolerate your impertinent conduct in class. Is that understood? "

Harry balled up his fists in anger but answered, "Yes sir."

"Now apologize to the class for the interruption you have caused."

Harry was beyond humiliation but looked up and quietly said "Sorry."

The Slytherins snickered but everyone else looked sympathetic.

Snape stepped closer to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder trying to come to a decision. "Do you truly feel well enough to ride your broom?"

Harry immediately said, "Yes sir."

"Would you have any objections to my coming to your practice tomorrow and keeping an eye on you?"

"Erm, no sir. I guess that would be okay," Harry was shocked Snape was letting him practice and even more shocked Snape would cancel a class to keep an eye on him. All of a sudden Harry felt so much better, as if a load had been lifted from his shoulders.

Snape could see the relief clearly written on Harry's face and knew he had done the right thing by giving in on this, he just wished he hadn't been forced to do it in front of the whole class. Now he would have to be extra strict with his students or lose his hard earned reputation.

He quickly turned on his heel facing the class and barked out, "Class back to work and Mr. Potter take your seat or lose 50 points!"

Harry went back to his seat and tried not to laugh at the looks of awe clearly written on the Slytherins faces.

When class ended Harry took his time packing his bag so he would be the last one out. After the last student walked out the door Harry walked up to the professor's desk and waited for the professor to notice him.

Severus looked up from his paperwork and looked into Harry's eyes, "Well, we put on quite a show, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess I was little distraught," Harry said while pushing his book bag further up on his shoulder.

Severus walked around the desk and stood in front of Harry.

"May I ask how you are dealing with … everything?"

"I'm okay, you know…" Harry trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Hmm, that is not what I heard from several of your teachers. They say you are having difficulty concentrating, and after watching you in my class I feel I must agree," Snape said with his hands clasped in front of him.

"I-it's just really hard to concentrate. I can't stop thinking about stuff and it just keeps getting in the way. I hate the way I act all jumpy and hate the way everyone is always starring at me. I don't know Severus, I just wish I could get away from here sometimes. I just need to get my head together and stop thinking about Uncle Vernon all the time," Harry said not knowing he was so desperate to talk about it.

Severus was so relieved Harry was talking with him once again and even more relieved he was opening up about Dursley. He wanted to help the boy anyway he could to get past the atrocities that he had suffered.

"Well, you do have your own bedroom in my rooms here at Hogwarts. Maybe you could take the antidote down there and stay for the weekend too. It would give you a little break from your fans."

"Are you sure you want me around the whole weekend sir?"

"Harry, when will you learn to accept this relationship between us? You keep denying that you are actually **worthy **of my time and concern," Snape said and watched as Harry let his shoulders relax.

Harry looked up at Severus and asked, "Professor, does it bother you that everyone knows that your going to be my dad … I-I mean guardian?"

Severus placed both hands on Harry's shoulders and pulled him closer.

"Harry nothing would give me more pleasure than becoming your … Dad. And once it is official I will be proud to call you my son."

Harry closed the gap between them and leaned his forehead against the Professor's chest. Severus placed a hand on the back of Harry's head.

"Son, it's good to have you back."

Harry felt exactly the same way.

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The next morning during breakfast the owls came with the morning mail. A large lavender owl landed before Snape and Harry watched as the professor held the life saving vial in his hand with care. Snape looked up and saw Harry watching him as he carefully put it in his inside pocket. Their eye's connected and Snape gave Harry a small sad smile. Harry smiled back but really wanted to cry at the thought of having to take that horrible antidote the rest of his life. His face must have conveyed some of what he was thinking because Snape wrote something on a paper and gave it to a house elf to bring to Harry.

A second later the house elf handed Harry the note and disappeared. Harry opened the note and read it;

_Just a few more doses until I find the cure. Be careful at practice today._

_Severus_

Harry folded the note back up and stuck it in his pocket. He looked back towards the professor and this time gave him a genuine smile and a nod. Suddenly he felt so much better.

He left the Great hall with a smile knowing that he would be back on his broom today and playing Quiddich and that someone actually cared enough to come watch and make sure he didn't get hurt.

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TBC

Hi All - I'm back home now and very happy to be on land again. Thanks for all your words of encouragement and for letting me know how you feel about this story so far. I will definitely keep it a hurt/comfort thing and not change anything else. I have another week before school starts and would like to get this story finished but I think I might have about 10 more chapters to go. Please review, thanks


	23. Chapter 23

Harry had put the note Snape wrote to him in his pocket and went to class. The note had only been a few lines but to Harry it meant much more. Just knowing that someone cared made a big difference in how he was handling the flood of memories that threatened to close in on him every minute. At this point he was living minute to minute, second to second trying not to let the mountain of emotions fall down on him. The abuse he had suffered at the hands of his uncle affected him so deeply that he didn't know how to begin to deal with it other than to push it away from his thoughts. He thought he might be feeling differently if it all hadn't happened so suddenly over the summer and following his tremendous guilt over getting Sirius killed. Had Uncle Vernon really been trying to help him change or was he just a sick, demented person who enjoyed watching him suffer? Harry still didn't know the answer.

As Harry was walking by himself to class he noticed a group of girls following behind him and could hear his name every now and then. It felt so weird to him that so many girls were actually interested in him now. The Welcome Ball was only a week and a half away and Harry had no idea whom he was inviting yet. There really wasn't anyone he was interested in besides Ginny and she always seemed to be in the company of one guy or another so he thought his chances with her were slim to none. Besides he didn't know how Ron would take it anyways and the last thing he needed was a fight with Ron. At this point he thought he might not go at all.

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Later that day at Quiddich practice Harry noticed many more people in the stands then usual, especially for a midday practice session. He looked around and spotted the professor sitting by himself, grading papers and ran over to him.

"Hi Professor! Thanks for coming," Harry truly meant that. He had never had anyone interested enough to come and watch him practice.

Snape looked up and assessed Harry's health. His coloring was good and he looked to be well rested.

"Mr. Potter, you will refrain from doing anything unwise while you are flying. I made this nutritional supplement for you since you will be taking the antidote tonight. I really do not want you skipping meals today," Snape said as he handed Harry a bottle of green liquid.

"Thanks Professor," Harry said and took a small drink to see how it tasted.

"Wow this stuff's actually really good. If you ever get tired of being a potions teacher you could start a new business selling this!" Harry said and finished off the bottle in a few more gulps.

"Thank you Mr. Potter, I will try to keep that in mind after teaching the first years."

Harry laughed and handed the empty bottle back to the professor. He gave a quick wave and kicked off, flying up in the air.

Severus watched and was impressed with the ease and grace the boy showed on the broom. He had always known Harry was quite a good flyer but had never appreciated his grace before today. Harry made a couple of loops and dives and the students sitting in the stands broke out into applause.

Severus could hear the young ladies in the stands talking about Harry and who he was planning on taking to the Welcome Ball next week. He actually thought he heard the words "Love Potion" a few times and thought he should warn Harry in case anyone tried to slip him something to make him fall in love. Severus turned towards the group of girls sitting behind him and gave them a scowl. The girls immediately became frightened and moved further down to the next set of bleachers.

Severus went back to watching Harry and thought maybe the boy was showing off for his benefit. He really should put a stop to Harry standing on the broom but he didn't want to ruin Harry's chance to show off a bit. Just in case Harry fell, Snape pulled his wand out and held it in the ready. Luckily he never needed to use it and Harry finished practice with a spectacular spiral spin landing directly in the pitch in front of Snape. The wind the spiral created blew Snape's papers across the bench. Severus looked back towards Harry and saw how the boy was just waiting to hear a little praise from him at his Quiddich skills. Snape presumed the Dursley's never attended anything Harry had excelled at and the boy probably never had the approval he so desperately seeked from them.

"Harry come here," Snape said and stood up motioning to the space in front of the bench.

Harry looked a little worried and said with trepidation clearly in his voice, "Yes sir. Sorry about the papers, I guess I over did it." Harry stood before the professor nervously tapping his broom with his fingers.

Snape slowly reached a hand out to Harry's face and the boy flinched ever so slightly.

"I just want you to know how proud of you I am. Your performance was amazing," Snape said and rubbed the spot of mud off Harry's cheek with his thumb before pulling his hand back.

Harry was utterly speechless. He thought Snape had called him over to reprimand him and instead he was actually proud of him! It touched Harry deeply and he felt a lump in his throat and quickly looked at his broom to hide his emotions.

"I'll see you tonight after supper. Do not worry about packing clothes, I ordered extra clothing for you to keep in my rooms here at school." Snape watched as Harry looked up at him with disbelief.

"What is it? Is everything alright?" Snape asked.

Harry shook his head and said, "It's nothing sir."

"What? What is it?"

Harry shuffled nervously and said, "It's just … you know, I never really had anyone … you know, care that much." Harry felt his face begin to flush.

If the stands had not been full and if every eye in the place wasn't blatantly starring at them, Snape would have put his arms around the boy but decided to just pat his shoulder instead.

"Well, get accustomed to it." With that said he gathered his papers and left the stands to several whispers and much gossiping.

Harry quickly looked around and saw how everyone was staring at him and was thankful they couldn't actually hear the words that were said between him and the professor. He was looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend away from prying and gawking classmates.

He swung his broom onto his shoulder and caught up with the rest of his teammates feeling like he was a little less "different" than everyone else for the first time. He was no longer alone and was in fact going to have a real family, a father who was actually proud of him.

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That evening after supper Harry made his way down to Snape's quarters for his weekend stay. He would have been excited to be getting away from everyone but the thought of taking that antidote put a damper on his spirits. When he reached the portrait with the snake on it he said the secret password and went inside. The fireplace was roaring and there was a pitcher of butterbeer and two glasses on the coffee table. Harry immediately felt comfortable in the warm inviting room and dropped his book bag on the console table.

Harry spotted the professor across the room standing at his desk, reading a rolled up parchment. He had an angry scowl on his face and looked a little tense.

"Hi Professor," Harry said a little alarmed at the look on the professor's face.

"Good evening Harry. Did you eat all of your supper?" The professor asked curtly.

"Yes sir."

"According to Vespa that should help stave off the stomach pains."

"Professor, how do you know that she's not just giving me more poison?" Harry asked. The question had been on his mind the last couple of days. He plopped down on the sofa and leaned on the green silk pillows.

"Do you honestly think I would hand you something without testing it first?" Snape answered a little harshly. He was actually quite offended to think that Harry would think him so naive.

"Oh, yeah … of course. I-I didn't mean that sir," replied Harry with apprehension. The last thing he wanted to do was make Snape mad and get kicked out.

"No, you have every right to question anything you are given. As a matter of fact if your brain had been working properly over the summer you wouldn't be in this predicament. I am not certain what was going through your mind when you drank that tea?" Snape said as he begun to shake up the vial of antidote.

"I guess I wasn't really thinking too clearly. I thought Stanton was one of the good guys."

"Try not to rely on your intuition in the future, it obviously steers you wrong."

Harry was feeling a little awkward at the moment. He almost felt like Snape didn't want him there anymore. He already felt like he was intruding on the professor's free time and didn't want to take up more of his time then necessary.

"Professor I can go back to Gryffindor Tower after I take the antidote. I know I'm taking up all your free time and stuff," Harry replied sincerely.

Severus stopped mid stride and turned to face the boy. He watched as Harry placed the pillow he had been leaning on neatly back on the sofa and went to stand next to his book bag.

"Why would you want to do that?" Snape asked.

"I-I don't know. I just get the feeling you don't really want me here and I totally understand and all …" Harry said and looked towards the fire.

"Harry, I do want you to stay. I'm just a little on edge at the moment," Snape said and seeing Harry's puzzled look he continued, "I just received an owl from someone that put me in a rather foul mood. Unfortunately you are on the receiving end of that mood."

Snape walked over to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. Harry looked up at him with a relieved expression on his face.

"Harry this is your home now. You may come and go as you please, just like Snape Manor is your home. You need not ask to come for the weekend or any other time. Do you understand? I didn't mean to snap at you."

Harry nodded and Snape steered him back to the sofa and watched as once again he sat down.

"Very well, are you ready for the antidote? The sooner you take it and go to bed the earlier you will feel better in the morning. I thought we would go to Diagon Alley tomorrow and buy you new Quiddich gloves. I noticed you had a few holes in your gloves. And I have to make a stop at the apothecary for some more supplies."

"Sir, do you think we could stop at Fred and George's shop?"

Snape thought about that for a moment and decided it was a good idea. He still hadn't thanked them properly for finding Harry and was willing to put their past experiences to rest now that the twins were no longer in school.

"Yes, if that is what you wish. I owe the Weasley family a great gratitude," Severus said sincerely.

Harry gave him an inquisitive look, "Why professor?"

"They were the ones to find you in the tunnel. Who knows how long you would of survived if they hadn't found you when they did," Snape said and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Now, are you ready to drink this?"

"Yes sir, but um, is there anything you can give me for the stomach pain?" Harry asked hopefully.

""Hmm, yes I know it does irritate. I wish there was something but it did not work the last time you took it. Have you been eating large meals?" Snape asked as he uncorked the vial and handed it to Harry.

"I guess so."

Snape gave him an austere look and raised an eyebrow. "Well, we will soon find out. Go ahead and drink up."

Snape watched as Harry drank and then made a sour face.

"That was awful. It tasted like Bertie Bott's Beans earwax! "Harry said as he grabbed the glass of butterbeer Snape was now offering.

"I tested it this morning and the core ingredients were the same as last time. Vespa must have taken out the sweetener she had put in for the tea."

"Professor I don't feel so good," Harry said as he began to shiver and hold his stomach.

Snape placed a hand on his forehead. He was warmer than normal but not enough to cause the boy to shiver. Snape grabbed a quilt and wrapped it around Harry's shoulders then pushed the boy back onto the pillows on the sofa and sat down next to him.

Harry felt awful and was starting to get those horrible stomach pains again. He curled up into a ball and laid his head down on the pillow. The professor tried to calm him down by telling him stories of student's worse at potions than Longbottom and rubbing small circles on his back. Harry wasn't really listening as the pain was so intense but the sound of the professor's voice was rather comforting. After a good hour Harry finally fell asleep.

Snape watched as Harry's face showed the pain he was feeling even in sleep and wished it had been him instead of Harry who had been given the poison. He felt Harry shudder every now and then and knew that he would have to hurry and find out what the mysterious ingredient was that was making the boy so ill. The professor wrapped his arm around Harry and leaned his head back against the sofa. Within minutes he fell into his own fitful sleep.

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Harry awoke in the middle of the night feeling feverish and parched. He sat up shakily and looked around for something to drink to get the horrible taste out of his mouth. His glass from earlier was empty so he slowly made his way into the kitchen to get some water. His hands were shaking so much from the stomach pain and fever that he sloshed water down the front of his shirt. On his way back from the kitchen something caught his eye on the professor's desk. It was the rolled up parchment that the professor had been reading earlier. He knew it was from Vespa as he could see the lavender insignia. Harry thought that must have been what had put the professor in such a foul mood last night. Harry slowly unrolled it and read what Vespa had to say;

_Severus,_

_Your request to sign over your estate in exchange for the formula to the antidote will not work. When your Great Great Grandfather died he placed a magical spell on the estate ensuring that the doors would open only to the rightful owner. The spell would make the estate inhabitable to anyone that was not the rightful heir. Unfortunately there is a clause including an adopted child. So I must turn down the offer of you signing over your estate and insist that the adoption be stopped. At this point I no longer trust you to do that on your own and will have "my people" keeping an eye on you._

_I am amazed that you actually think you could out smart me Severus. You were a foolish, weak child and have become an even more pathetic adult. Is this boy really worth the division it has caused in our family? _

_Aunt Vespa_

Harry held the note in his unsteady hands and read it one more time. He could not believe that Snape was actually willing to give up that beautiful estate just to adopt him. It made Harry feel so guilty and yet he felt relieved to know that Snape really did want him as a son. The thought was too good to be true.

"Excuse me Mr. Potter, but do you usually read notes that are not addressed to you? I will need to remember in the future to lock my desk drawer," Snape said as he stalked over to the desk and ripped the note from Harry's hand.

"Oh, um I'm sorry sir." There really wasn't much Harry could say as he had been caught red handed.

Snape was going to give him a lecture on privacy when he saw how hard Harry was shivering.

"What is wrong with you? Do you have another fever?" Snape asked as he roughly put his hand to Harry's head. The boy was burning up again and looked as if he were ready to pass out.

"Get back to the sofa and lie down immediately. Why did you not wake me and let me know you were ill? For Merlin's sake Potter, you must learn not to hide these things from me!" Snape snapped as he pulled another vial from his black bag.

Harry unsteadily made his way to the sofa and practically fell on it. He then rolled back up holding his stomach and placing his head on the pillow. Snape walked over to him and watched with concern as Harry drank the fever reducing potion.

"Well, I guess it was too much to expect that dreaded fever to stop attacking you. I'm not sure if it has to do with the antidote or not. You clearly had fevers before the poison was given to you." Snape sat down next to the pillow Harry had his head on and pushed Harry's hair back from his sweating forehead.

"Professor, could you please make the fire hotter?" Harry said with chattering teeth.

Snape knew the fire was roaring and thought Harry must have the chills. He pulled out his wand and another quilt appeared. He flung that over Harry and said, "I don't want you to get too warm. Try to go back to sleep. Hopefully this will pass and you will feel better in the morning." Snape sounded much more confident then he felt though.

Harry slept for a good hour as Snape sat by him and occasionally felt the boy's forehead in hopes that the fever would break. Snape began to wonder if the fever was somehow caused by the abuse Harry had suffered. He remembered Harry having these same fevers in the hospital after he had been rescued and whenever the boy was especially stressed. Snape knew that he would have to get Harry to open up and talk about the abuse he suffered this weekend. He could tell that Harry was trying to fight off the memories and would often catch the boy shaking his head as if to clear his mind of something bad.

Just as Snape began to doze off again Harry woke up with a start and began to scream.

"He's got her! He's got Ginny! I have to find her!"

Harry scrambled to his feet and was heading towards the door when Snape caught his arm and swung him around so they were standing face to face.

"Potter! Stop now and look at me!" Snape grabbed the boy's face roughly and waited until Harry looked him in the eye before saying, "Sit down and tell me what is wrong."

Harry tried to pull out of Snape's grasp. "No! Voldemort has Ginny! I have to go help her, he has her at the gates!" Harry screamed out and tried to loosen Snape's firm grip on his arm.

"Potter stop this instant! Miss Weasley is safe in her bed. It is 4:00 am and no one is allowed out of the castle. It was a nightmare, only a nightmare." Snape reasoned as he grabbed Harry's other arm and shook him.

"It wasn't a nightmare! It was real and it was from Voldemort! I can feel it, I can feel it in my scar!" Harry said emphatically.

Snape pushed the hair back from Harry's forehead and saw that the scar was an angry swollen red color. The professor knew that it very well could have been a message from Voldemort but thought it more likely a trick then real. But he knew Harry wouldn't sleep until the boy knew for sure that Miss Weasley was not in danger and now he too felt he needed to be sure.

"Very well. I will go up to Gryffindor Tower only if you go back and lie down. You still have that fever and I do not want you over exerting yourself going up and down the stairs."

"Okay, but hurry … please," Harry said and reluctantly went back to the sofa and knew that he probably wouldn't even make it up to Gryffindor Tower with the way he felt right now. He watched as the professor made his way out the door and hoped that this was just Voldemort playing another trick on him. It really bothered him how Voldemort knew to use Ginny as the bait. He didn't think anyone knew about the way he felt for Ginny.

Harry sat up on the sofa and was watching the door when it suddenly opened and Snape came walking in followed by Ginny and Hermione. Harry stood up quickly and immediately regretted it as he swayed and would have fallen if Snape hadn't rushed over and caught his arm.

"Ginny, you're okay," Harry said rather embarrassed by the whole incident now. The professor pushed him towards the sofa and Harry sat down.

"Harry, are you alright? Professor Snape said you had another scare again from You Know Who," Ginny said as she wrapped her robe around her tighter and looked at Harry with concern. He was shaking and looked feverish.

"Again?" Professor Snape asked and he looked down at Harry with a stern look.

Harry didn't say anything, but Hermione offered up, "Yes sir, this is not the first time Harry has thought Ginny was in trouble. That day that you caught him in the hallway he had another nightmare."

Harry felt totally betrayed by his best friend and gave her a glare before looking over at the professor.

"Harry, I am at a loss. I really do not know how to deal with you and the secrets you insist on keeping from me. What exactly is it going to take for you to begin to trust me?" Snape said severely as he pushed Harry back on the pillow and threw a quilt over the shivering boy. Both girls looked at Snape with a little fear clearly on their faces. Snape softened his expression and shook his head in frustration.

Harry looked down and was at a total loss on how to answer. He never wanted Snape to find out about the dreams because he knew the professor would make him start occlumency lessons again. Ginny came and sat down next to him and took hold of his shaking hand.

"I'm okay Harry. Voldie's just trying to scare you again. Don't listen to him anymore," Ginny said as she patted Harry's hand. Harry looked at her face and felt relief wash over him.

"Mr. Potter, I do believe you have an appointment tomorrow with me for occlumency lessons. The trip to Diagon Alley will have to wait. Now may I get you young ladies a cup of tea before I escort you back to Gryffindor Tower?"

Both Ginny and Hermione were surprised Snape was being so nice. He was such a different person now that he was adopting Harry. Hermione said, "That would be nice sir." Snape pulled his wand out and there were three cups of steaming tea on the coffee table. He excused himself and left the three Gryffindor to themselves.

No one spoke for a few minutes. Ginny finally said, "Gosh Harry, Snape really cares about you doesn't he? He was the one who made McGonagall give us permission to visit you. He said you would be worried until you saw me in person."

Harry looked at Ginny in her pink bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. He felt a strong desire to lean over and kiss her but held back and squeezed her hand instead.

Hermione suddenly spoke up again, "Harry I didn't mean to get you in trouble, its just that I know what happened last year with Sirius and I'm afraid Voldemort's doing it again."

"Hermione, how did you even know about the last time I had that nightmare? Oh forget it, I'm sure Ron told you. Bloody hell Hermione …" Harry didn't finish his sentence as Snape walked back into the room and gave him a glare.

"Mr. Potter it seems you are in need of more lessons then I thought. Tomorrow you will not only get a lesson in occlumency but also one in manners," Snape faced Hermione and said, "If you ladies are ready I feel we should be on our way. It seems Mr. Potter needs more rest, maybe then he will remember his manners." Snape turned on his heel and headed to the door.

Ginny looked at Harry and was not sure if he was red from the fever or from getting in trouble in front of everyone. She gave his hand a final squeeze and said, "Could we come see you tomorrow?"

Harry looked over to Snape who said, "This is Mr. Potter's home. He may have whomever he pleases over for a visit. Although I'm not sure why anyone would want to spend time with him with the way that he speaks to his friends." Snape gave Harry a look of disappointment.

Harry looked over at Hermione as she stood up with an upset look on her face.

"Hermione, I'm sorry. I hope both of you come back to visit and ask Ron if he wants to come too," Harry said through chattering teeth.

Snape tried not to show how worried he was about him but walked back over to Harry and put a hand to his forehead. Sure enough the boy was burning up again.

"Harry, I'll be right back," Snape said in a much softer voice as he carefully pushed Harry back onto the pillow and covered him with the quilt again. He pulled his wand out and a tall glass of water appeared. He offered it to Harry but the boy refused. Snape walked to the door with a look of concern on his face. The girls gave a final wave and followed Snape out the door.

Harry closed his eyes and visions of Vernon immediately popped back to his mind. He tried again to push them away and failed miserably as he fell back into another fitful sleep.

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The next morning Harry woke up feeling like his old self once again. His fever was gone and so were the stomach pains. He took a shower and dressed then looked around for Snape. The professor was waiting for him in the front room by his desk.

"Good morning Harry. How are you feeling?" Snape asked as he felt Harry's head again.

"I feel great! I feel good enough to go to Diagon Alley," Harry said and hoped the professor would forget about his threat last night of occlumency lessons.

"Yes, well we have other matters to attend to," Snape said as he motioned for Harry to take the seat in front of the desk.

Harry sat down and immediately began to try and push the memories of Privet drive away before Snape had a chance to see what had happened to him over the summer. Snape sat down on the other side of the desk and watched as Harry closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. Snape knew right away what the boy was trying to do and he pulled his wand out and pointed it at Harry's head.

"Prepare yourself. Legilimency!" Snape said and plunged into Harry's thoughts and memories.

Harry was riding his new firebolt with a feeling of euphoria … Dursley pulling his belt off … Harry holding Ginny's hand … Harry being strapped down to the bed in his room by his uncle … Snape felt the black walls come up with force and was pushed from Harry's mind.

Snape opened his eyes and found Harry panting and doubled over.

"Why, why do you have to do that to me?" Harry pleaded still trying to catch his breath.

"You must stop pushing those memories away and begin to deal with them."

"You say that like it's this easy thing to do but you have no idea how it makes me feel to think of Vernon over powering me like that! I'm supposed to kill Voldemort one day and I can't even defend myself against my disgusting uncle!" Harry screamed out.

Snape watched as the boy struggled with his emotions and felt relieved that at least Harry was acknowledging that something had happened. "Harry, you had no wand, you were protecting your owl and your uncle has tormented you your entire life. Now, tell me what he did to you."

"No! Just leave it alone Severus. I can't talk about it," Harry yelled and ran his hands through his hair trying to calm down.

Snape saw how distressed Harry was and thought he might try a new tactic to get the boy to open up. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a black leather note pad.

"Harry, let's try something new. I will stop forcing you to talk about the abuse you suffered if you begin to write about it instead. I can clearly see how upset it makes you," Snape said and pushed the notebook towards Harry.

Harry opened the book and saw the blank pages inside. It would be easier to write then to talk about and if it gave him a break from occlumency lessons then it would be worth it.

"Okay, but you have to promise not to show it to anyone," Harry said in a near whisper.

"Fair enough. Whatever you write will be between you and me," Snape said and felt his heart skip a beat at the expression Harry was giving him. Harry looked at him with terrible grief clearly written on his face. Too much sadness for a boy of sixteen to have ever of felt. "You know Mr. Potter, I feel you have had enough lessons for the day. How would you like to go to Diagon Alley?"

Harry nodded and shoved the black notebook away, trying not to think about the words that would be written in it. He stood up and looked to Severus with gratitude.

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Harry and Snape walked into Hogsmeade and apperated into Diagon Alley. They stopped to have a big breakfast with Tom at the Leaky Cauldron. When they finished they made their way into the apothecary shop at the very same time Vespa was on her way out of the same shop.

Harry and Professor Snape stood face to face with Vespa Snape!

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Hi All! Back at school now so I'm not sure how soon I'll be getting chappys out. If you haven't done so already go to review and add me to your alert list so you are notified when I put the next chapter out. And if you get a chance leave a little review too! I'll try to update really soon.


	24. Chapter 24 Apothocary Shop

Harry and Professor Snape were in Diagon Alley walking into the apothecary shop just as Aunt Vespa was walking out the door. At first they all froze when recognition took hold. Then Snape whipped his wand out but not before Vespa had her wand pointing at Harry's head.

"Put your wand away Severus or the boy will pay," Vespa hissed in an evil tone of voice.

Severus slowly lowered his wand and put it back into his robe. Vespa kept her wand pointed at Harry's head as she watched her nephew. She continued holding the wand to Harry's head and sneered at the look of alarm her nephew was showing. It became very obvious to her that this boy was very special to Severus.

"So, you are choosing to not heed my warning, I see. It is obvious you are still planning on adopting the orphan. Tsk, tsk, Severus, you are much more dim-witted then I had thought," Vespa reprimanded, as she lowered her wand slightly and pushed it into Harry's chest.

Snape knew she was an expert at non verbal spells and dared not make a move against her with her wand pointing at Harry's heart. He looked into Harry's eyes shaking his head so the boy would not attempt to do anything reckless.

Harry saw Snape's signal to remain still, feeling a sudden panic at the thought of Vespa's control over him at the moment. Harry looked at Vespa and saw the evil glint in her eye and ugly sneer that she usually wore. He could smell her disgusting lavender perfume mixed with the herbs from the apothecary. It turned his stomach and he knew he would never forget that smell. At that moment Harry wanted to kill her and watch her suffer as he had to suffer. She was the cause of him being sent back to the Dursley's, she was the reason why he was so sick, and worst of all she was the reason why Professor Snape could not proceed with the adoption. He was filled with fury and looked into the evil witch's face with revulsion.

"How dare you look at me like that, you pathetic little creature! You have no idea the power I hold over you at this moment, do you? If I refuse to give you the antidote you will die a slow horrible death by having your insides eaten away. You will no longer have those rosy cheeks and bright eyes," Vespa caressed Harry's face with her other hand.

"Don't touch him!" Snape said and took a step towards them.

Vespa looked into Severus' eyes as she slowly caressed Harry's face again, daring the man to make a move. Harry had a look of panic in his eyes and pulled his head back abruptly as memories of Vernon flooded his thoughts. His stomach was in knots and he felt as if he might vomit. Vespa roughly grabbed his face and slapped him hard. Harry was shocked as he put his hand up to his stinging cheek looking towards Severus. He wanted to throw a few spells at the disgusting hag and was wondering why Severus wasn't already doing it.

Severus looked into the boy's eyes again giving a slight shake of the head. He took another step towards them as Vespa quickly grabbed Harry's arm.

Severus knew he would not be quick enough to get Harry away before she cast a curse. He was livid and shaking with fury at Vespa. He saw Harry's violent reaction to being touched like that, knowing he would need to address that with the boy soon. He felt an overwhelming need to protect Harry and moved a little closer to him.

"Back away Severus," Vespa hissed and pressed the wand harder into Harry's chest. Snape heard Harry take in a sudden breath. He quickly stepped back not wanting Vespa to harm the boy any further.

A few ladies had stopped to watch when Harry had been slapped. Now a few more were watching and Vespa suddenly became aware of their whispers.

"Vespa, we are in the middle of Diagon Alley with several witnesses around. You must lower your wand immediately before you begin to draw a crowd," Snape said as he tried to reason with her. His hand was now under his cloak and around his wand.

"Oh yes, as soon as I release the boy I know exactly what you will do. You leave me no alternative but to take young Mr. Potter with me," Vespa tightened her grip on Harry's arm like a vise.

Severus immediately grabbed Harry's other arm and yanked him away from Vespa before she could apparate with him. Vespa lost her grip on Harry as Severus pointed his wand at Vespa yelling out, "Stupefy!"

A yellow streak came flying out of Vespa's wand that brushed by Harry's arm and the boy screamed in agony as he fell to the ground. Snape threw himself over Harry and looked back at Vespa just as she apparated with a loud POP!

Vespa was gone and along with her the best chance they had at getting the antidote along with the formula.

Snape quickly stood up pulling Harry with him. Harry held his hurt arm close to his body feeling relief at being away from Vespa's control.

"Is it bad? May I take a look?" Snape asked and gently rolled up Harry's sleeve, revealing a giant angry welt.

"I'm okay professor, it just stings a little," Harry lied as he cradled his arm once more.

"Let's get back to Hogwarts and see what I have to fix that," Professor Snape said with an anxious look to his eyes.

Snape was angry at himself for not capturing Vespa, letting her get away. He knew that she would not be sending the antidote again, leaving less then three days for him to find the formula on his own. He had been so close but there was always something missing that he could not find in the formula. He was frustrated beyond belief. The thought of Harry dying was a painful concept to him but he knew it was now a possibility. Snape put his arm over the boy's shoulder and pulled him closer escorting Harry into the apothecary shop.

Harry leaned into the professor feeling safe once again. He took deep breaths and tried to forget about the terrible pain emanating from his arm. He could feel his arm starting to swell as it throbbed and he tried to focus his attention on the professor's arm over his shoulder. All his life he had seen Uncle Vernon comfort Dudley that same way. He had always watched and hoped that someday Uncle Vernon would hate him a little less and comfort him like that. Now the professor was doing just that and Harry didn't want to forget the feeling of having someone care that much. He knew that other people would just take a parent's physical touch for granted but he never would. Every time the professor had ever thrown an arm around him or pushed his hair back or even touched his face had been a memory that Harry would roll around in his mind whenever he began thinking of the abuse he had suffered. He needed those little moments to store away and take out when he began to feel despair closing in on him. It was becoming progressively harder to hide the depression that was always with him. He knew it had a lot to do with Uncle Vernon but also had a feeling it had to do with the poison coursing through his body as well. He didn't know how to keep it at bay anymore and now thought it would only get worse.

Snape steered Harry to a corner in the shop and gave him a pat on the shoulder, "Wait here, I have to talk with the apothecary." Snape looked at Harry closely, "Are you alright Harry?"

Harrynodded his head yes, feeling a lump in his throat and was afraid to speak.

Snape gave him another questioning look and then began to gather all the ingredients he would need. He questioned the apothecary on Vespa's purchases. He purchased the exact same ingredients as she had and hoped he would be able to work out the mystery of the poison in time.

Harry remained quietly standing in the corner, cradling his injured arm and thinking about the poison eating away at his insides. He knew what this encounter with Vespa meant and was nervous at the thought of dying like she had described it. He hoped she would send the antidote or that Snape would somehow manage to find out how to make it in time. He thought of his friends and Remus and the Weasley's and how they would react to his telling them that he had been poisoned by Snape's aunt. He didn't think it would go over well and hoped they didn't get angry at the Professor. He already knew how bad Professor Snape had been feeling over the whole thing and didn't want to make him feel any worse.

When Snape was finished with his purchases he stood before Harry and searched the boy's face for how he was feeling. He saw the bright red hand print clearly on Harry's pale face and wanted to kill his aunt with a vengeance.

"Let's return," Snape stated abruptly walking over to the floo. He needed to get his emotions under control before talking with the boy. He knew how Harry tended to take the blame for everything and wanted to make sure Harry didn't misinterpret his anger.

Harry nodded his head and followed the Professor through the floo into Hogsmeade. On the walk back to Hogwarts, Harry kept letting the thought of the poison inside him come to the surface. He tried to push it away but the memory of feeling his insides burning just last night was strong. He knew how hard it would be to hide all this from his friends and decided not to go back to Gryffindor Tower any time soon. It was so hard to hide the nightmares he had been having every night and he felt so much safer with the professor.

"Sir, do you mind if I stay with you for a while?"

"No, I do not mind at all, as a matter of fact I was going to suggest it myself. I would like to take several more blood samples and keep a close eye on that arm. If my guess is correct I believe your arm may begin to feel worse before it starts getting better," Severus said and looked towards Harry for his reaction.

Harry shook his head, "Nothing ever goes right for me, does it?"

Snape wished that he could deny what Harry had just said, but with all honesty he knew he couldn't.

"Someday you will have everything you ever wanted and look back to these days as a mere memory."

Harry quietly replied, "I almost did have everything I ever wanted."

Snape looked at the boy's slumped shoulders and hanging head, suddenly realizing what it was that Harry was referring to. The only thing the boy had ever wanted was a family who loved him unconditionally.

"Harry this adoption **will **go through. Suffice it to say there have been a few road blocks but I will not give up and neither should you. In the mean time I still consider you my son. Do you understand?"

Harry glanced up at the professor's face, "Yeah, but it's not real."

Snape gave him a look of confusion but didn't say anything further as they walked through the castle doors.

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When they reached Snape's quarters, Harry went right to the sofa and lay down with his arm pulled close to his chest. Snape put his purchases down and sat by Harry's side.

"May I?" The professor asked as he reached for Harry's injured arm.

Harry watched as Snape rolled his sleeve up once again and analyzed the angry bruise that was now the size of an orange. He rubbed some healing balm on it as Harry looked away, squeezing his eyes closed from the pain.

"Does it hurt?" Severus asked as he gently turned Harry's face towards him.

Harry shook his head, no. Severus raisedan eyebrow looking Harry in the eyes.

"Maybe a little, but I'm alright," Harry begrudgingly admitted and pulled his chin away.

"Yes, well I am going to give you a pain potion to take some of the discomfort away. You must keep from using that arm for a few days until the swelling comes down. No Quiddich for two days," Snape caught Harry's chin again, giving him a firm look.

Harry agreed with a nod.

"I will be spending the rest of today down in my laboratory and want you to sleep down there so I can keep an eye on you. Do you mind?"

"No sir," Harry replied and actually felt better about not having to be alone right now. He was getting more nervous about the poison in his system and being by himself would only make him think about it more.

"Harry there's one more matter I wish to address. When Vespa touched your face, you reacted in a most peculiar way," Snape stated and hoped Harry would open up.

"Yeah, so?" Harry said with anger rising.

"So … I wonder if it has anything to do with Dursley?" Snape asked cautiously. Snape wasn't exactly sure what had happened to Harry behind closed doors. He had seen into Vernon's memories but it was through the man's interpretation of events. He knew that Harry had experienced a completely different memory that was no doubt much more painful.

Harry pulled his bad arm back to him and rolled to his side with his back facing the professor. "Just leave me alone," came a tired voice.

"I would be a substandard guardian if I were to leave you alone. Something about the way she touched you brought back bad memories for you, did it not?" Severus asked patiently.

Harry pushed his face into the back of the sofa and remained quiet.

After a few long minutes Snape finally spoke up, "After you have had a rest, I am going to require you to write in the black book I gave you. You may not do anything else until you have answered my question adequately. Is that understood Mr. Potter?" Snape wasn't sure how a real parent would handle this uncomfortable situation but being patient had not seemed to be working thus far. He would have to try a new tactic.

"I don't want to do that, okay? Can't you just stop trying to make me remember that stuff? I mean it was awful enough having to go through it and now you want me to think about it and write it down!" Harry said emphatically with his face still facing the back of the sofa.

"Yes, well I have no doubts that it will be hard to face but it will continue to rule your emotions unless you confront it," Snape said sympathetically and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry shook Snape's hand off his shoulder and struggled to stand up with his bad arm still held close to him. He started for his bedroom but suddenly stopped when he heard Snape's voice.

"Mr. Potter, do not walk away from me until we have finished with our conversation. Now get back over here and take a seat," came the harsh command.

Harry wanted to flee but habit had taught him to obey. He begrudgingly walked back and sat down on the sofa looking down at his shoes.

"I thought we already agreed that you would rest down in the lab? Stop acting in such an immature manner and just do as you are told. It is for your own good," Snape said as he began to lose his patience with the boy.

Harry was going to argue, he was going to tell the professor that he couldn't open the door to those memories or he might crack, but he was so tired. All of a sudden he felt physically drained and just wanted to sleep. The quickest way to be able to do that was to just agree with the professor.

"Yes sir," came a defeated voice.

Snape found that answer a little disturbing. He thought there might be an argument and maybe a compromise but the way Harry just agreed made him uncomfortable.

Harry slowly followed Snape down to the lab and rested on a soft cot as the professor began to work on the antidote. He was just drifting off to sleep with his eyes closed when the professor came and stood next to him.

Snape conjured up a blanket and covered the tired boy with it. The professor was feeling like there was a giant boulder sitting on his shoulders and the anxious feeling deep inside was growing.

"I will not fail you, son," came a quiet whisper from the potions teacher.

Harry let himself relax further and drift into a dreamless sleep.

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Harry awoke to the sound of voices arguing several hours later but pretended to still be asleep so he could listen.

"Severus that is too perilous a plan," came an insisted Dumbledore.

"But I must do something Albus! I will not stand by and watch him suffer while that hag continues to gloat. It is well worth the risk," Harry could hear the potion master pacing while he spoke. "We have no time to argue Albus. You either go along with the plan or pretend as if you never heard it."

"Severus, the aurors are close to finding her. They know that Miss Charlet is attending Beauxbatons and they are tracking her mail. They could actually capture Vespa within days," Harry heard the headmaster say and thought the man sounded tired and old.

"And what do you think they will accomplish by bringing Vespa in for questioning? She has the antidote to Veritiserum as well as a host of other means to question her. They have no proof Albus. Don't you understand, we must fight back with the only thing that matters to the evil hag!"

"Severus you could end up in Azkaban over something that evil. Do you really feel you could follow through if it came down to it?" Dumbledore pleaded.

"Oh yes! You know my past, even if you wish you didn't. You know what I am capable of." Harry heard Snape walking towards him and quickly shut his eyes.

"Mr. Potter! Are you listening in on this!" Snape snapped harshly and threw the covers back off Harry. "What did you hear?"

Harry sat up and shrugged his shoulders.

Snape pulled his wand out and pointed it at Harry's head, "Legilimens."

Harry felt a presence in his thoughts and tried to push the professor out. "Get out!" Harry cried and after a moment felt the presence leave. Harry looked up panting with the effort it took to try to push the professor out of his thoughts.

Snape was glad to know that Harry hadn't heard the entire conversation, especially the part requiring him to pull from the darkest part of his soul. But he also found out that Harry was exhausted and feeling tremendous pain in his arm. He tried to remain calm at the boy's insistence to hide his pain from him but began to lose the battle.

"Why is it that you choose to hide your ailments from me Mr. Potter?" Snape barked as he poured a few potions into a vial. "Merlin Potter, is it so hard for you to let me know when you are in pain!"

Harry was about to lie but thought better of it, knowing the professor had just seen his thoughts and would know the truth. "My uncle never allowed me to tell him when I was feeling bad. He thought I was acting like a baby and I would get … punished."

Snape gave him a look of horror and was about to say something then clamped his mouth closed.

"I heard you have a plan but whatever you have planned I don't want you getting into trouble on my account. I don't think I could live with myself if I knew something happened to you because of me." Harry said in an angry voice. He was not happy Snape had violated his thoughts in such a way. Professor Dumbledore had turned his back and Harry knew he did not want to get involved, which was just like the headmaster these days.

Snape forcibly shoved the vial into Harry's hands. Harry looked up into the professor's face seeing irritation clearly written on it.

"Drink it," The professor said. He thought about what Harry had just said and felt compassion for what the boy had gone through his entire life. "Unlike your previous guardian I **do** wish to know when you are in pain," Snape stated in a more sympathetic voice. "Please do not hide it from me again."

Harry's arm was throbbing dreadfully so he swallowed the potion. The professor unceremoniously pushed him back on the cot and covered him with the blanket. Within a few minutes Harry was in a deep dreamless sleep and Snape was back to plotting.

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	25. Chapter 25 A Little Fun

Hours later Harry awoke to something slamming against the wall in the lab and Severus swearing obscenely under his breath. He sat up quickly and looked around the lab. The lab was dimly lit and had the same smell of herbs as the lab at Snape Manor. He stood up from the cot and Snape walked towards him with a tense look on his face. Harry instinctively took a few steps back and grabbed his throbbing arm to his chest.

"Do not **do that **Mr. Potter!" Snape said with irritation.

"What sir? What did I do?" Harry froze, continuing to keep his eyes on the restive professor.

The professor shook his head and took a calming breath before saying, "Nothing, it is not your fault."

Suddenly Snape felt the need to explain, "I do not like watching you step back and show fear of me. It seems you do that more often then not."

Harry was utterly humiliated. And worse, he knew the professor would insist on the black book now.

"I-I don't know why I just did that sir, I can't stop myself from doing that. I just … I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize!" The professor snapped, his nerves on edge after spending the entire evening on a fruitless endevor. "That is the other matter we must address as well. You apologize when it clearly is not your wrong doing. Damn Dursley did that to you!" Snape shook his head and walked away from Harry.

Harry stood watching Snape. _Damn Dursley did that? What?_

Harry felt ashamed, not about Vernon so much as about feeling that the professor was disappointed in him. "Exactly what do you mean about Vernon and doing something to me?"

"What I mean Mr. Potter is that you have changed dramatically since fifth year. I attribute that to Dursley," Snape answered in a matter of fact tone and continued working with his potion, his anger gone now.

Harry felt his face warm up. So, is that what everyone saw him as, this wounded, frightened boy. Bloody hell that was not the way he wanted to act and certainly not the way he wanted other people to see him. He had to kill Voldemort one day for Merlin's sake! He couldn't be perceived as some weakling crybaby!

Snape looked up at him, studying him for a minute before saying, "Suffice it to say, Mr. Potter it is not your fault. You had no control over that situation."

Those were just the thoughts he had been consumed with since returning to school. "That's just it! What happened to the uncontrolled magic? I can't understand why I could blow up my aunt over a few nasty words about my parents and have a snake scare Dudley but when my uncle …" Harry suddenly stopped, not wanting to reveal anything further.

"When your uncle what? Continue," commanded Snape.

Harry shook his head and looked down at his feet.

"Look at me when I am speaking," came the stern command. "I said continue."

Harry forced himself to look the professor in the eye, "Well, it's just that I don't know what happened to me this past summer. I mean I never, ever would have let Uncle Vernon hurt me like that before, but this summer I felt… I don't know …helpless to stop it. It was so weird. I kept thinking my wandless magic might kick in but it never did. That thought has been bothering me."

"Have you ever considered that it might not have _kicked in _as you put it, because you might have felt that you deserved it?" the professor stopped stirring and scrutinized Harry's reaction to that.

Harry felt as if he had been doused with cold water and took a sudden breath in. Had he deserved what that disgusting pig had done to him? He thought back to the first beating and remembered feeling like he was paying the price for getting Sirius killed. Maybe Snape had a point after all. Maybe he did deserve it.

"I guess your right, I did deserve some of it. But not …"

Snape abruptly cut him off, "I did not say you deserved any of it! Of all the idiotic things to think boy, what must be going through that mind of yours? I said, **you** might have felt that you deserved it, therefore the uncontrolled magic that you seem to possess when you are angry did not react the same as before. For Merlin's sake Harry, stop thinking you are the cause for all things evil in this world."

"Do you really think that? I don't want to be like this anymore either you know. It's not like I'm proud of the way I turned out!" Harry swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. He had to get back to being the way he used to be and stop being such a disappointment to the professor.

"Harry I have had a long night with no sleep and feel I am not conveying my thoughts on the abuse you suffered sufficiently. I suppose your bravery will return to you when you have healed emotionally. Now let's end this discussion until I have had time to reflect on a more appropriate way of conveying my feelings on the matter."

_Now he thinks I'm not brave anymore too. _"Good. I didn't want to talk about it anyway."

Snape thought that over and replied, "No, you never do, do you? The black book is in order today before anything else." Snape turned his back on the boy, and gathered up more ingredients.

"No, I'm not doing that book thing. It's not something I feel like getting into right now," Harry stated. Maybe being a little more assertive would help take away the fear that was always lurking in the shadows.

"Writing in the book was never up for debate Harry. **I **am your guardian and you will do as you are told," came the stern voice.

"Tell me about the plan and then maybe I'll consider it," Harry challenged.

"You will do it regardless. The plan is rather complicated but all I need from you is to keep our encounter with Vespa a secret. No one and I mean absolutely no one is to find out about the poison and what happened yesterday. Do I make myself clear Mr. Potter?"

"Yes sir. I **can **keep a secret you know. I can do a lot more than that too. You know I have come up with pretty detailed plans of my own in the past."

Snape rolled his eyes at that and said sarcastically, "If you are referring to your past escapades at this school then, no thank you, I do not require your assistance. If you recall, you needed help to survive those astounding plans."

Harry looked indignant, "Those astounding plans did save a few friends and …" he suddenly stopped talking as he realized one of his plans had actually killed a friend, Sirius.

Snape came to the same supposition at exactly the same time. "Harry you only did what you thought was best for Black. You were trying to help and I am sure he knew that before he passed."

Harry couldn't stand to hear Severus talking about his Godfather, even if it wasn't anything bad about him.

"Just forget it. I'll keep my mouth shut!"

Snape watched the boy take control of his emotions again knowing that Harry still had tremendous guilt over the whole incident. If he could only let out his guilt and pain it would begin the healing process.

"Perhaps that should be the first topic to write about in your book?"

"Severus you act like this is just another assignment in your class. I'm not doing it though. You can give me a Troll for this one," Harry stated in anger.

"If the thought of Sirius is too painful then begin with Dursley."

"Oh sure, that's a lot less painful," Harry replied sarcastically. "I'm not writing down anything that has to do with Vernon. I think the whole idea is stupid," Harry said as he made his way to the stairs.

"Mr. Potter! You will do as you are told," Snape used his low dangerous voice. The one Harry hated hearing the most.

"Severus, you can't make me bring up those memories anymore than you can make me return to my old self again. I know I'm not the son you had hoped for but I can't deal with that other stuff right now," the emotions Harry felt were barely containable.

"Harry, you can be so dimwitted at times. I never said you were a disappointment to me, as a matter of fact …" Severus stopped speaking as the dark mark on his arm flared up with intensity and he tried to hide the pain he was in.

"Go on! We'll finish this later!" Snape snapped, wanting Harry to leave before the dark mark flared with more pain, as Severus knew it would. The last thing he wanted was for Harry to see him in pain and take that upon his shoulders as well.

Harry ran up the steps, slamming the door behind him in anger.

Snape was on edge and felt the tremendous weight on his shoulders to find the antidote. The last five antidotes had not worked and he had thought he was so close. Harry had slept the night in the lab and he had watched as the boy clenched his stomach in pain several times through out the night. It had been a whole day since they had seen Vespa at Diagon Alley and the clock was ticking. He really did not want to have to implement "the plan" but as time moved on he knew he was closer to doing just that.

Snape began going over the conversation he had just had with Harry and realized the boy actually thoughthe found him to be an unworthy son. He thought of a way he could prove to Harry that he was indeed not a disappointment to him. He floo called Madame Bones and they set a meeting that day to begin the adoption process. At this point Vespa had nothing to hold over him and the adoption could take place.

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After Harry showered and changed, he walked past the black book on Snape's desk, pushing it under a few letters. He just couldn't deal with that right now. Instead he went upstairs to find his friends at breakfast. He wasn't sure what kind of retribution he would suffer for disobeying Snape but right now he didn't care.

The moment he stepped into the Great Hall and smelled the delicious aroma of Sunday breakfast, he realized how hungry he was. He looked down the Gryffindor table and spotted Ron stuffing his mouth with ham and made his way to him. Several people had stopped to watch him and whispers could be heard around. Harry was not certain what they were whispering about and tried to ignore them.

Ron looked up as Harry sat down with surprise at first and then alarm clearly written on his face.

"Whoa Harry, did Snape do that to you?" Ron asked and pointed to Harry's face.

Harry had completely forgotten about the red handprint on his cheek.

"No!" Harry said emphatically, "Snape's not like that, he wouldn't hurt me."

"Who did it then? And what's wrong with your arm?" Ron asked as he stuck another fork full of food into his mouth.

"It's a long story, I'll tell you later but Snape did not do it," Harry said as he began piling food on a plate.

Ron shook his head and asked, "Do you think you'll be able to play Quiddich with that arm?"

"Yeah I can play." Suddenly Harry had a brilliant idea, "Hey Ron have you ever heard of a hover board?"

"Sure, I saw one in Diagon Alley this summer. It looked really brilliant but they wouldn't let me try it out."

"Well, you can try my hover board then!"

"No way? You mean Snape …" Ron began saying before Harry cut him off.

"It's under my bed. Come on!" Harry said with true excitement forgetting about his plate full of hot food. He couldn't wait to show Ron the moves he could make on the board. Harry needed to shake the feeling of impending doom he had ever since meeting up with Vespa. The hover board was just the thing to take his mind off everything.

When they came out of Gryffindor Tower Hermione, Ginny and Seamus joined along to see how the hover board worked. Hermione walked next to Ron and pulled his and Seamus' arm so Ginny could speak with Harry alone.

Ginny talked about classes and then about Quiddich before she got up the courage to bring up the dance.

She took a deep breath before asking, "Harry are you going to the Welcome Dance?" Ginny had hoped Harry would ask her but came to the conclusion that she would need to ask him.

"Erm, I don't think I'm going. I have some stuff to do with the professor," Harry knew that by Friday he would most likely be in intense pain from the poison. Going to a dance would be the last thing on his mind. "Are you going?" He asked, hoping she said no.

"Well, I guess I am. My mum sent a dress and everything so I kinda feel like I should go," Ginny wasn't sure which of the guys who had asked her she would go with, now that Harry wasn't going.

"Oh," was all Harry managed to say. His heart dropped at hearing that she had a date, wishing it could have been him taking her. He wondered how long the poison would take to really make him sick.

"Do you want to study together tomorrow night?" Ginny asked bravely. If Harry wasn't going to take her to the dance at least she could get a study date out of him.

"Okay. I am pretty behind in most of my classes so I know I have a lot of catching up to do," suddenly he felt much better, almost the same way he felt when he rode a broom the first time. He and Snape had decided that he would continue with his studies and classes as long as he could manage, hoping for a good outcome.

Seamus caught up with them and immediately brought up the Welcome Dance.

"You are goin aren't you Harry?" Seamus asked.

"I can't," Harry really didn't feel like thinking about that dance anymore.

"To bad because my date is someone you might remember. She goes to Beauxbatons, I met her over the summer when I stayed with my aunt and uncle in France," Seamus said.

Both Harry and Ginny looked to Seamus with surprise. "Well, who is it then? Don't keep us in suspense," Ginny asked totally intrigued. Seamus had been talking about a summer fling but hadn't let anyone know who it was yet. She had started to believe he was just making it up.

"Do you remember Fleur Delacour's little sister? The one you saved from the Black Lake, Harry?"

Harry remembered quite well. How could he ever forget anything to do with the Tri-wizard Tournament?

"Yeah, I remember. You mean Gabriele Delacour, she's the one you're dating?" Harry asked with surprise.

"We hung out all summer and I've been begging Professor Dumbledore to let her come to the dance. Anyway Dumbledore finally just told me she could come to the dance," Seamus announced proudly.

Harry was shocked but happy for his friend, "How is she going to get here?"

"Dumbledore is going to arrange a portkey for her. She's going to port right into the school. He said he was only doing it because of the Tri-Wizard tournament fiasco and wanted to make a better impression. He gave me a big lecture on how much trouble everyone was going through to get her here and how I better be a perfect gentleman. Any way's at least I get to see her again."

By then Ron and Hermione had caught up with them and both Gryffindor were just as surprised over Seamus' new girlfriend. They began to question him about her until they finally reached the outskirts of the lawn.

Now Harry really wished he could go to the dance. What he wouldn't give to see the look on Malfoy's face when Seamus walks in with a half Veela Beauxbatons girl!

When they were close to the Forbidden Forest Harry explained to Ron exactly how the board worked and offered to let him take the first ride. Ron refused and said he'd rather Harry show him how it worked first. A crowd was beginning to form since a few people had seen Harry and Ron running out of the castle with the board. Neville, Seamus, Ginny and Hermione were standing around the board with a few other students standing back to watch.

"Harry are you sure you're well enough to be riding that? I mean when we saw you a few days ago you looked pretty bad. The professor said you had the muggle flu," Hermione said with concern as she eyed the way Harry was protecting his arm. "And what happened to your face and arm?"

"Nothing, I'll tell you later," Harry answered and looked over to the crowd beginning to form.

"Harry is Professor Snape aware that you have that thing out here?" Hermione asked with apprehension as she pointed to the board.

Harry rolled his eyes at her, "Hermione, its fine. The professor doesn't care," He lied knowing how mad the professor would be if he found out about this. But he really needed to get out of the dungeons and feel normal for a little while.

He tried to explain how easy it was to ride the board, "It's just like muggle surfing, only in the air. I'm not even using my arms." Harry let go of the hurt arm and shook it a little as if to shake the pain away. It still hurt but he was too excited to not ride the board.

"Honestly Harry, you should have protection of some sort," Hermione said in an exasperated tone.

Harry waved her off and stood on the board as it began to rise off the ground. He leaned forward and immediately started zooming across the grass towards the Forbidden Forest. Just as he was about to hit the big pine tree he leaned back and tipped up the front of the board, causing it to go into a giant loop. He could hear Ron and the guys cheering. He flew around a few more times and then decided to try something even more daring. He let the board rise until it was almost level with the top of the pine tree and then pushed his foot down on the front of the board. The board came spiraling down towards the lawn and Harry lost his balance. He was flung off the spinning board and landed half way down the pine tree.

Harry felt the branches scratching his face and arms and grabbed onto the branch before he fell the rest of the way down. He was hanging onto the branch, about 30 feet in the air! He could see everyone down below panicking and watched as his board crashed into another tree. Harry could barely hold onto the branch as his bad arm was throbbing with pain.

Hermione ran towards the castle as Harry tried to stop her but she couldn't hear him. Ron went to get the hover board and stood on it. He was rising steadily and tentatively holding his balance. He leaned forward and the board started moving towards Harry. Ron steadied himself and let the board rise again until it was level with Harry. He slowly leaned forward and was almost within reaching distance of Harry when a blinding lightening bolt raced past him. The bolt hit Harry and Ron watched as Harry slowly fell out of the tree. It looked as if Harry were suspended in water as he swayed down towards the ground, landing with a small thump in a pile of leaves.

Harry grabbed his throbbing arm and looked around for the person who had cast the charm. Standing at the edge of the grass was Professor Snape next to Hermione, with his wand held before him. Harry froze until he heard Ron screaming. Harry looked up as Ron came hurtling down to the ground, head first. Just before impact Professor Snape cast the same charm on Ron and the Gryffindor landed softly in the grass, tumbling over into a somersault. Ron quickly scrambled to his feet and was taking deep breathes to calm his racing heart.

Snape came towards them with robes billowing and an angry glare. Harry willed himself not to step back but it took everything he had to hold his ground. Ron on the other hand was stepping back behind Harry with a very worried look on his face.

Snape stopped directly in front of the Gryffindor's with his hands clasped before him and a stern look on his face. He had noticed how Harry had stood his ground and felt a small surge of pride for the boy. He didn't say anything but just stared at the two boys.

Somehow that was more unnerving to them then being yelled at by the professor.

After a few minutes of very uncomfortable silence Professor Snape finally spoke.

"Accio hover board," He said as he held his hand out. The board flew to him and he tucked it under his arm then turned on his heel and headed back to the castle without saying another word.

Ron breathed a sigh of relief but Harry felt worse then ever. He almost wished Snape had yelled at him or something. The crowd around them started to disperse and Hermione walked over to them.

"I told you guys to be careful. You're lucky you weren't killed Harry. And Ron you would have broken your neck if Professor Snape hadn't of saved you."

Harry stared after the professor until he could no longer see him. He felt like he had just let Snape down again and felt horrible. After more lectures from Hermione on their recklessness they went to the castle to finish up their homework.

Later that evening he had a hard time concentrating on his homework as thoughts of being alone in this mess began to close in on him. He had wanted to tell Ron and Hermione about the poison but Professor Snape had disagreed. Harry wished he could at least talk with professor Snape about it but knew he would be furious over the whole hover board incident now. Maybe giving him some space was a good idea right now.

Harry was sitting on the floor before the fire with his books spread out in front of him. He could see Ginny out of the corner of his eye talking with Dean and laughing. By the time they finished talking, Dean sat close to Ginny with a very satisfied look on his face. At that moment Harry hated Vespa with a vengeance. Because of her he would lose Ginny to Dean again. He just knew it. He couldn't take the sight of them together anymore and abruptly got up to go to bed.

Ginny noticed and stopped him, "Harry where are you going? I thought we could all play wizard scrabble together."

Harry looked over to Dean with disgust then shook his head and continued walking towards the staircase.

"Harry what's wrong?" Ginny got up and grabbed Harry's arm, forcing him to turn and look at her.

"Nothings wrong, I'm just tired," He didn't sound very convincing but didn't really have a right to get angry at her. He tried to turn back around but Ginny wouldn't let go of his arm. Harry looked down at Ginny, feeling her firm hand on his forearm. Merlin, he felt his insides drop. He suddenly needed to get away from there before he did something to embarrass himself. Harry pulled his arm out of her grasp and headed up the staircase to his dorm room. He flung himself on his bed, trying to think of something else besides Ginny.

An hour later he was still fully dressed on top of the covers as he started nodding off to sleep. Without any warning his scar broke out into a fierce burning that felt like it might explode. He grabbed his head and started rocking back and forth on his knees trying not to scream out in pain. There was no vision or message from Voldemort, only the most intense pain he had every felt emanating from his scar.

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	26. Chapter 26 Beauxbaton

-1Harry was lying on his bed, fully clothed, trying not to think of Ginny and Dean. He was failing miserably at the task when suddenly his scar flared up with pain. It was a quick powerful surge of pain, lasting only a few long seconds. Just long enough to take Harry's breath away and make him feel like he might vomit. The instant the scar flared with pain he had a quick vision of Voldemort with Lucius Malfoy. Voldemort was beyond angry as Malfoy hovelled at his feet. The flash of pain was soon turned into a dull throb and the vision was gone.

He wanted to go down to the dungeons and let Severus know but felt too guilty over the hover board incident. Instead he grabbed his towel and went into the bathroom to shower. He let the icy cold water pound on the scar, making it a little more manageable.

Why had he been so thoughtless today and ruined his relationship with the professor? He thought back to the way the professor didn't even say a word to him, knowing that it was worse then if he had been yelled at. Bloody hell! He knew he was ruining everything!

Harry slept in Gryffindor Tower that night, waking up a few times during the night with nightmares, and his arm throbbing in pain He wished he hadn't made the professor mad. By morning he was nervous and jumpy, wondering if Snape was still angry at him and if Vespa's lavender owl would be delivering the antidote that morning. He dreaded taking the antidote again but the thought of dying the way Vespa had described it was even worse.

His arm hurt so bad that he had trouble buttoning up his shirt and had to cast a spell to do it for him. He wished he had some pain potion but knew that asking Pomfrey would lead to questions about where the bruise had come from. Severus had made it crystal clear to him that no one should find out about the encounter with Vespa at Diagon Alley. Finally he couldn't take the pain any longer and grabbed his invisibility cloak. He stuffed it in his bag telling his friends he would see them at breakfast.

When he got close to the dungeons, he threw the cloak over himself and headed down to Snape's quarters. He said the password and went inside hoping the professor wasn't around. Harry stood cautiously by the door listening for signs of Severus. When he didn't hear any he walked over to the desk and rifled through Snape's black bag with potions in it. He found a pain potion and also grabbed a vial of dreamless sleep, hoping the professor wouldn't miss it. Just as he stuck the vials in his pocket, the laboratory door swung open and Snape and Dumbledore walked in.

Harry quickly hid in the kitchen, still under the invisibility cloak. He could hear the two professors arguing and at first felt a little guilty about eavesdropping until he heard what they were arguing about.

"The key is the girl! Vespa has already transferred half her fortune to Charlet. She must have made a deal with Charlet or blood oath or who knows what. But Vespa would not have handed over her money without getting something big in return!"

Harry could hear the anger in Snape's voice.

"Severus that may be so but there is still no way to get the girl to leave school grounds. You can not take possession of the girl unless she can be lured off Beauxbatons grounds," Dumbledore sounded tired, as if he had been arguing the same point for hours.

Snape didn't back down, "There must be a way to get within the school grounds and have her take hold of a portkey. Owling her a portkey is out of the question since all the owls coming and going are being searched. Or else there has to be a way to break in and kidnap her."

Kidnap Charlet! Merlin no, Severus was risking his own life for him.

"Our best hope is to wait 2 weeks for the Beauxbaton school trip into town. You could be hiding and slip her a portkey then. She'll have no idea what it is and be portkeyed to the hideout. Once she is there I really do not want to know what will be required to force Vespa's hand," Dumbledore said with fright clearly in his voice.

Harry couldn't believe Snape was actually going to kidnap Charlet and hold her ransom for the antidote. He did not want to put Severus in this position just for him, it sounded way too risky. He couldn't live with himself if Snape ended up in Azkaban or worse.

"No Albus! I will not wait that long. You saw Harry when he was a week without the antidote or do you forget the way he looked? The boy actually said the poison hurt worse then the Cruitiatus Curse! He will not survive two weeks, even with the extra potions I have concocted. I must break into Beauxbatons and take her now!" Snape growled out as if to push the point harder.

"Severus, wait until Hagrid returns today. You must plan this carefully. He is delivering the portkey to Miss Delacour later this morning so she may attend the Hogwarts Dance on Friday. It was the best idea I could come up with to get Hagrid onto Beauxbaton's school grounds. I've asked him to check for any weak areas on the Beauxbatons grounds that might help you to break in, **if** it comes down to that. Perhaps Vespa will have a change of heart and deliver the antidote today."

"Hah! Don't hold your breath Albus. I was not actually planning on taking the girl today at any rate. I need a few days to get the hideout prepared. Does Hagrid know anything about Vespa or Charlet?" Snape did not want anyone else knowing anything about this plan. Harry's life depended on it.

"Of course not Severus. He believes he is checking security there for a report for the Order. He already knows Madame Maxime is not to know anything about it. If there are any weak spots in security I know Hagrid will find it."

Harry heard the professors heading for the front door…

"If he does not find any unguarded areas in their security then I will have to produce one," Severus said as if a new plan was already in the throes of being devised in his academically advanced web of intellect.

"Severus, I never would agree to a plan so diabolical but Harry is our only hope for peace. Without the boy we will be lost to Voldemort. I have not told anyone in the Order as you requested but if this plan fails then I feel I must. Does Harry know anything about your plans for Charlet?" The headmaster asked as he opened the door out to the corridor.

"No! And he must not know anything," Snape said with an angry edge to his voice. Harry heard the front door close as the two men left.

He stood in the middle of the kitchen trying to put all the pieces of this plan together. Snape would kidnap Charlet right out of Beauxbatons! No way, he would be seen and everyone including the Ministry would be looking for him. He would end up in Azkaban for life! The risk was too great.

Harry knew he had to come up with a plan to help Snape. He did not want to risk anyone finding out Snape had anything to do with Vespa or Charlet. He sat down on the kitchen chair trying to think of a way to lure Charlet off the school grounds.

If he could just talk with Hermione or even Ron, he knew they would come up with something clever. But no, that would be too risky. Hmm, Hagrid was going to Beauxbatons today to deliver a portkey to Delacour. If he could just get Hagrid to let him tag along then there might be a chance ...

His plan would not be pleasant for him but the strong need to help overrode his self preservation. He was going to do it! He would tag along with Hagrid and ask Charlet if she would attend the Hogwarts school dance with him.

He could give her his invisibility cloak and she could secretly use the portkey with Gabrielle Delacour. Charlet could sneak out without Madame Maxime ever knowing anything about it.

Harry knew if the Headmistress found out she would surely need to ask Vespa's permission first. And Vespa would never agree to let Charlet attend a dance with Harry. Once she was on Hogwarts grounds he would let Snape take over from there. He knew the plan was worth a try, it was the only hope he had to keep Severus from risking everything and ending up in Azkaban.

Now, if he could just get Hagrid to take him along to Beauxbatons.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry drank the pain potion, feeling instant relief then made his way down to Hagrid's hut. He knocked on the big wooden door and was relieved when Hagrid answered.

"Arry, good to see ya!" The Giant opened the door wider indicating for Harry to come in.

Harry stepped into the comfortable warm home, "Hagrid, I don't have much time but I need to ask a huge favor?"

The Giant looked a little reluctant but said, "Wha can I do for ya?"

"I need to go with you to Beauxbatons today," Harry watched as Hagrid shook his head no.

"Hagrid, it's really important to me. There's this girl there that I need to talk to."

Hagrid suddenly broke out with a big grin, "Arry ya know I'd like to help ya but Dumbledore would kill me if he caught me sneaking you off school grounds. An I don even wan ta know wha Professor Snape would do to me."

"Hagrid, he'll never find out, I promise. I brought my invisibility cloak. Can't I just go with you? Please, Hagrid it would mean so much to me," Harry used his most convincing smile.

After Harry begged a little more he knew the Giant was close to relenting.

Hagrid looked at the boy he had grown to love, knowing that he would pay a heavy price if they were caught but not really giving a care at the moment. He knew what Harry had been through this past summer and wanted to give the boy a little happiness if he could.

"Okay Arry, you can come. Jus be out here at 10:00 and we'll walk into Hogsmeade together but you have to wear your cloak."

"How are we getting there?" Harry finally thought to ask.

"Portkey, what else? Once we're there I have some Order stuff to do so you'll be on your own for awhile."

Harry could hear the pride in the Giants voice over doing official business.

"Kay, I'll see you at 10:00. Thanks Hagrid this means more than you know!" Harry said while running out the door. He ran all the way to the Great Hall, not wanting to miss the arrival of the owls. If Vespa changed her mind and sent the antidote then the plan wouldn't even have to be implemented to begin with.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Harry walked breathlessly into the Great Hall and spotted the professor sitting at the head table arguing with Dumbledore. He knew Dumbledore was the only other person who knew about the poison and could tell by the look on the headmaster's face that he too was anxious. Dumbledore suddenly looked over to him and gave him a small smile but Harry could tell it was forced. Snape on the other hand didn't look at him and Harry knew he must still be angry.

Harry was too nervous to eat. He wished he had slept down in the dungeon so at least he could have talked a little with the professor. More than anything else he needed some reassurance from the potion teacher right now as he waited for the unknown.

Hermione noticed his nervousness, "Harry for goodness sake, why don't you just go talk with him? Just tell him you're sorry and be done with it. He's the one who bought you the hover board to begin with. How angry can he be at you?"

Hermione hadn't known the whole reason why Harry was so nervous but she did have a good point. He couldn't take the unknown anymore and walked up to the head table as his friends watched.

Snape noticed Harry and gave him a frosty glare before continuing with his breakfast.

"Erm, excuse me sir. May I talk with you for just a minute?"

The professor didn't say anything; he remained seated and looked away. Harry stood stupidly in front of the head table not knowing what he was supposed to do now. McGonagall gave him a small smile, making him feel even more pathetic.

Finally Professor Dumbledore spoke up, "Severus I do believe Mr. Potter would like a word with you."

Snape continued eating, ignoring both sets of eyes on him.

"Professor, I'm sorry about yesterday. I just wanted to have some fun," Harry said as he watched the professor continue to ignore him. Maybe that wasn't the best excuse?

"Severus, it was really wrong of me," Harry said in a much quieter voice since most of the staff was watching by this point.

When Snape still hadn't made any comment after a full two minutes Harry dropped his head and turned back to his table. His face flushed when he looked up and saw how he had been observed by half the students present. Damn, why did he make the attempted apology in front of the whole blasted school?

When breakfast was almost over the owls began to arrive with the morning mail. He kept his eyes on Professor Snape and prayed that the lavender owl would make an appearance.

Snape sat without any emotion showing. Harry's heart was pounding, just praying for another three day reprieve.

The last of the owls flew through the window. There was not a lavender owl among them. Harry watched as Snape took in a deep breath, folding his long arms across his chest.

Harry stayed at his table as all the rest of the students filed out to begin class. Ron and Hermione gave him a look of concern but he told them to go ahead to class. They still didn't know about the poison and thought he was just upset about the professor's reaction to his apology.

When most of the students were gone Harry dropped his head onto his folded arms on the table. He was so scared to die as Vespa promised he would. He felt so alone.

Snape had been keeping an eye on Harry, knowing what the boy must be going through right now. He felt the boy had been punished enough for his ridiculous behavior yesterday.

Snape waited until the last of the students left and they were alone. He saw how distressed the boy was with his head buried in his arms. Feeling a sudden need to forgive the idiot child for his brainless exploit yesterday, Snape walked over to where Harry sat. He sat down next to the worried boy without saying a word.

Harry looked up at the professor with uneasiness. He didn't think he could handle the professor's wrath at this moment but knew he deserved it nonetheless. He steeled himself for the verbal castigation that was sure to come.

Severus looked down at the nervous teen and gave him a small smile as he shook his head. The boy looked ready to burst with regret over his misdeeds.

"I'm sorry sir. I'm so stupid, I know it wrong. Please don't be mad. I just need …," letting the sentence trail off. What right did he have to ask for anything?

"What Harry? What is it that you need?" The look Harry gave him was filled with so much worry. Suddenly his guilt over getting the boy involved with Vespa was overwhelming.

"Just to know that you aren't mad," came a sad voice filled with underlying fear.

Severus slowly turned and put an arm over the boy's slumped shoulders. Harry felt relief course through him at that touch. He threw dignity out the window and turned, leaning his head into the professor's chest. He felt so immature but his needs over rode his self-respect at the moment.

Severus wrapped his other arm around the anxious boy, pulling him closer into a hug and resting his chin on the boy's head. Harry closed his eyes and felt less afraid of what the future had in store for him. Having a parent was new to him. It felt good to know he was not alone.

Severus knew the poison was effectively forcing the boy into emotional instability thus causing Harry to need more reassurance. Harry was not usually so open to affection but the potion master didn't mind. Physical contact was new to him as well and it would just take getting used to.

"Are you all right?" Severus asked into Harry's unruly mop of hair.

"Yes sir, just please don't be mad at me right now. I-I need you," he surprised himself with the confession. He hadn't intended to say that out loud.

Severus stiffened a little at hearing that. No one had ever needed him. His own insecurities surfaced and he speculated that he might not be adequate enough for Harry right now, but he also knew he was all the boy had.

Harry felt the professor stiffen and pulled away from him quickly looking down at his hands. He was ashamed over acting so childish, so needy.

"I totally understand if you're mad at me though. I guess I was pretty stupid to take out the hover board," Harry shifted so he faced the professor and tried to sound stronger, more mature after his humiliating admission.

"Well yes, you were _stupid _for doing that, I must concur. Is that the rationale for not coming home last night?"

Harry looked at him with confusion, "I thought you were mad and didn't want to see me. Especially after the way you ignored me this morning."

"Harry, I was displeased this morning because you did not come home last night. I desired to talk with you and make certain you were not distressed. You should have let me know you were residing in the tower. And by the way, I know you disobeyed me and did not write in the black book," Snape said in a stern but caring voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you wanted to see me last night. And that book … it's just too hard to think about right now." Harry tentatively reached over and grabbed the Potion Master's hand. It was a far cry from his normal behavior but he felt a strong need for support. After all he might actually die soon, he told himself.

"Just please don't expect too much from me right now. I want to face everything that has happened but it just feels too big."

Snape continued to hold Harry's hand rubbing his thumb back and forth on the back of it. "Harry I do not know the first thing about having a son. Do not have high expectations. I am quite certain there will be mistakes made on both our parts but I will always forgive you."

Harry looked down at their hands, "I guess I don't know the first thing about being someone's son either. I mean I've never really had a father since I was one."

The professor looked at him with sadness, wishing he could have been there long ago now that he knew what Harry had to deal with growing up.

Just then Ron and Hermione walked into the Great Hall and stopped when they saw the scene before them. Harry held tighter to the professor's hand and called them over.

Snape would never admit it but he was a little nervous about the reaction Harry's friends would have to him holding Harry's hand. He wanted to protect the boy from any criticisms Harry might incur due to him.

"Harry, we didn't see you in transfiguration and just wanted to make sure you were okay," Hermione said as she and Ron stood before them now. Ron looked down at Harry's hand holding the professor's and then back up to their faces.

"Are you okay Harry?" He asked cautiously, with a look of uncertainty on his face.

"Yeah, I'm okay. We were just talking about how we both don't know how to be a father and son, since neither one of us has ever been one."

Snape was surprised at the level of trust Harry put into his friends.

Ron chuckled and said, "Well do you mind if I give you some advice?"

Professor Snape sat up straighter and replied, "Do enlighten us Mr. Weasley, as we are incompetent on the subject so even you could educate us in that area."

Harry laughed but Ron wasn't sure if it was meant as a joke or if he was serious.

"Erm, okay I'll tell you what my Dad and I always do after I get into trouble."

"So you must be quite educated on **this **subject," Snape said in a sarcastic tone.

Harry and Hermione smiled at that knowing full well it was true.

Ron had a small smile he was trying to hide at the barb but continued, "My Dad says that it's okay to be mad at each other as long as you fix the problem before you go to bed. The rule in our house is to never go to bed angry with each other. You know, we have to forgive each other." He said the last as he pointedly looked at Snape.

"Hmm, I always did appreciate your father's wisdom on raising sons," Snape alleged as he faced Harry again. "Very well, that will become a good standard to uphold. Do you agree Mr. Potter?" He rubbed the back of Harry's hand with his thumb again.

"Yes sir, I think it sounds pretty good. It would have saved me from having to embarrass myself in front of the whole school this morning, so yeah let's do it."

Snape raised an eyebrow at the boy but didn't say anything further on the matter. He was actually surprised Harry still had not let go of his hand, even with his friends noticing. It further surprised him that Granger and Weasley were actually quite supportive of their relationship.

"Very well, thank you for your help Mr. Weasley. Ten points to Gryffindor for sagacity," The professor said and raised his wand. The three Gryffindors all looked at him with their mouths hanging open.

"Close your mouths before you catch a fly. Now I do believe you two have a class to attend," Snape said and looked towards the door.

Hermione leaned over and gave Harry a little hug and kiss on the top of his head, "We'll see you later Harry."

Ron punched him on the shoulder and followed Hermione out the door.

"Your friends care greatly for you," The professor said as he saw the satisfied look on Harry's face. "Were you afraid they would not accept me as your father?"

"No, I always knew they would. They know how important it is to me," Harry stated.

"I am pleased to hear you say that. I went to the Ministry yesterday and began the adoption process," Snape watched Harry's face carefully.

"You mean you still want me?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Harry …," Snape started in an exasperated tone, then seeing that the boy was serious he quickly changed his tone, "As I informed you previously, you are serving an important role in my life at this time. At this point I can not imagine being content without you as my son."

Harry once again leaned into the professor, this time wrapping his arms around him and burying his face in the black robes. Severus held the boy tighter, knowing that he would need this memory in bad times to come. After a quick moment Severus cleared his throat and let Harry go. He leaned back and looked at the boy's face then broached the subject they had avoided thus far.

"Vespa's owl did not come today."

Harry tried to sound brave but his words came out strained, "Yeah I know, sir. I don't suppose you're any closer to figuring out the antidote yet?"

Snape shook his head and let go of Harry. Harry sat up straighter struggling not to panic. He tried to turn away so the professor would not see.

Severus reached over guiding Harry's chin back to face him.

"Harry, I feel I did not convey my thoughts clearly yesterday. I **do** think you are brave; in fact you are one of the bravest people I know. But being courageous does not exclude letting someone else support you when you are in need. Along with that, you do not need to hide the fear you have over the poison. I to, feel that same fear."

Harry pat his back giving him strength for what was to come. They sat that way for a several long minutes before he finally turned away with unshed tears still in his eyes.

"Harry I am working on a potion that will prolong the effects of the antidote that still runs in your system. I will not be teaching today, so if you need me for any reason you know to reach me in my lab. In all probability I will be there all day, including lunch. Would you like to have supper this evening in the dungeon?"

"Yes sir," Harry was actually looking forward to spending some time alone with the professor.

"Very well, I will see you this evening. I feel it would be beneficial if you spent the night down there as well. I believe the potion I am making for you will be ready by then and I would like to keep a close eye on your reaction." Snape rose from the bench and draped an arm over Harry's shoulder as they walked to the door, "We will also discuss your punishment for not writing in the black book."

Harry was about to complain when Severus raised a hand and said, "There will be plenty of time this evening to discuss the matter. I will see you then."

Harry watched the professor head down to the dungeons and felt a little guilty over sneaking out with Hagrid today. The feeling quickly passed as he knew it was the best way to keep the professor from getting caught.

Harry went back up to the Tower and changed into one of the nicer uniforms with hand stitching along the collar. He pulled out the handmade black leather boots that he had been to embarrassed to wear around Ron, and put those on too. He grabbed his cloak with the fur lining and silver clasp, along with his invisibility cloak. On his way out he stopped and took a look at himself in the long mirror. His hair was still sticking up a little so he grabbed a comb and tried to make it lay flat on top. When it wasn't working he cast a charm to help make it cooperate a little better. One last look revealed a very neat, well-appointed young man. Harry hoped it would help sway Charlet to come to the Hogwarts dance with him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Harry met Hagrid down at his hut and they walked into Hogsmeade together with Harry hiding under the cloak. Hagrid pulled the portkey out and they both held on as Hagrid chanted something Harry couldn't understand. Suddenly he felt the sickening pulled behind his navel as he spun out into the unknown. It took much longer than any other time he had used a portkey but they finally landed with a jolt.

Harry went sprawling across a vast open lawn and Hagrid joined him. They quickly stood up and brushed their clothes off and straightened their ties.

Harry was glad he had cast that charm to keep his hair in order now. Hagrid had dressed to impress as well, in a large mangy brown fur coat and polka dot tie.

"Well Harry, I hope your girl appreciates how nice you look today," Hagrid said as they walked to the palace doors.

Harry barely heard him as he was so astounded at the palace they were in. He had never seen anything like it. The grounds were immaculate with water fountains and statues lining the way to the entrance.

Madame Maxime was there to greet them with a big hug for the half giant. Harry noticed how shy Hagrid suddenly became. He kissed Madame Maxine's hand bending over it with a flourish.

Madame Maxime turned her attention to Harry then. Harry also kissed her hand as he had seen Severus do with his Aunt. The giant woman welcomed them into the opulent palace.

If Harry thought the outside was grand he wasn't prepared for what the inside beheld. The walls were white marble as were the floors. Beautiful statues graced the hallways and the place was filled with light and music. There were no untoward ghosts or scary cats with glowing orange eyes roaming the hallways.

"Mr. Potter, so good of you to visit us. When Hagrid owled me this morning with the news that you would also be attending, I shared it with the young ladies. I do not think I have ever heard so much happiness and joy at any announcement I have made." Madame Maxine said and laughed at the blush it caused Harry. She led them into a large hall with mirrors lining the walls and a choir practicing beautiful melodic songs.

The choir suddenly stopped at the sight of Harry and the girls broke out into giggles and whispers. Madame Maxime introduced Hagrid and Harry then called forth Gabrielle Delacour.

Harry was surprised at how beautiful she was now. The last time he had seen her she was a twelve year old little girl. Seamus was one lucky guy, he thought as he bent over Gabrielle's hand and gave it a kiss. He heard the rest of the girls break out into more whispers and giggles. He gathered all his Gryffindor bravery as he stood up straight and faced the girls. His eyes roamed the group for Charlet and spotted her standing in the center. She gave him an icy glare.

_Oh Merlin, this is gonna be hard!_

Madame Maxime asked Gabrielle to escort Harry around while she and Hagrid settled a few matters. Gabrielle smiled brightly at that and began to introduce Harry to some of her friends as the adults left. The girls gathered closer to Harry, making it hard for him to keep an eye on Charlet.

Several of the girls pushed in closer, making Harry feel a bit trapped, when a voice silenced everyone.

"How very rude! Back off and let me through!" came the voice Harry had come to loath.

The girls suddenly moved further back making a path for a very domineering Charlet.

"I see your manners have not improved," Charlet said in a haughty voice. Many gasps from the other young ladies could clearly be heard. "At the very least I expect acknowledgment that we spent part of our summer together." Charlet made it seem as if her and Harry had been close, clearly to impress the other girls. She arrogantly extended her hand towards him.

"Charlet," Harry said as he leaned over and kissed her hand to much grumbling from the rest of the girls. "It is nice to see you again. How is your lovely Aunt?" He made sure his face did not show any signs of his true feelings.

Charlet gave him an inquisitive look before replying, "I have not seen or heard from her since school began."

Harry had a hard time reading Charlet. He did not know if she even knew about the poison her aunt had given him. She seemed a little too at ease, but it was hard to tell with someone as conniving as her.

"What brings you to Beauxbaton?" Charlet inquired as she flipped her long raven hair back.

"Oh well, I just tagged along with Hagrid to deliver a portkey to Miss Delacour."

"Oh yes, she has been quite the talk of the school," Charlet said as she gave Gabrielle a sweet smile." It is not everyday a girl gets asked to a dance at Hogwarts." Charlet stepped closer to Harry.

Gabrielle simply ignored her and grabbed hold of Harry's arm, turning him away from the self-aggrandizing girl.

"Come Harry, I will show you sights much more beautiful," Gabrielle said with disdain, giving Charlet a slight sneer and pulling Harry out of the room.

Harry stopped at the door and turned towards Charlet. "Would you care to join us?" He asked and offered her his other arm, much to Gabrielle's disappointment. It seemed to Harry that there might be some sort of competition between the two young ladies that could work in his favor.

At first Charlet looked as if she might refuse but quickly changed her mind as the other girls clearly were jealous she had been singled out by Harry Potter.

"I suppose I can spare a few moments to show an old friend around," Charlet said just loud enough so everyone would know that she knew Harry well.

The rest of the girls groaned in disappointment as they watched Harry leave with two of the most popular girls in school.

The girls showed him around the grounds, both holding possessively to an arm. Harry thought he better ask Charlet soon, before Hagrid showed up.

"Erm, Charlet, I was just wondering if you would like to go to the dance with me?" Harry watched as the sly raven haired girl stood up straighter and looked smugly at the other girl.

"Why Harry, how nice of you to ask. I would be delighted to go the dance."

Harry felt relief at hearing her say that. Then she continued, "The only problem might lie with my Aunt. I am sure Madame Maxime would force me to get permission and I can not imagine Vespa will be agreeable."

Harry thought Charlet sounded genuinely disappointed. Most likely due to not being able to tell the other girls she was going to a Hogwarts dance too.

He was ready with an answer, "Yes, I agree but maybe you could come without permission."

Both girls gave him inquisitive looks.

"I have something called an invisibility cloak, it actually makes you invisible. You could wear it and use the same portkey that Gabrielle will be using. Madame Maxime doesn't even have to know." Harry watched Charlet's face as she thought of the plan. Gabrielle on the other hand looked a little miffed at the suggestion that Charlet go to the dance too.

Gabrielle spoke up first, "That does not sound very honest Harry. I do not think that is such a good idea."

Right away Charlet admonished, "Gabrielle how selfish of you. I can not believe you would turn down a request from out esteemed visitor. Shameful!"

Gabrielle seemed a little flustered when she replied, "It's not that I wouldn't want to help you Harry, it's just that I don't want to get caught."

"That's okay Gabrielle. I don't want you getting caught either. That's kinda how I felt when the mermaids in the Triwizard tournament didn't want me to save you from the Black sea." Harry knew that was a low blow but he would stop at nothing for this plan to work.

It did seem to do the trick as Gabrielle looked a little ashamed as she replied, "Oh, yes. I do remember how you risked so much to save me. I guess as long as this invisibility cloak really works then Charlet may use the portkey with me."

Both Harry and Charlet broke out into big smiles. Harry pulled out his cloak and Charlet tried it on. Harry felt apprehension at leaving the cloak with Charlet but it was the only way for the plan to work. After going over the plan a few more times, Hagrid showed up and announced it was time to leave.

Harry thanked the two girls for being such kind escorts as they stood on the steps of the palace with Madame Maxime and Hagrid. The windows were crowded with girls peering out to watch the adorable Boy-Who-Lived.

Charlet noticed the large audience and pulled Harry into an embrace. Liking the attention this brought her she quickly gave Harry a kiss on the lips. Harry forced himself to kiss her back, having to stop himself from wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

The girls in the windows were absolutely green with jealousy, making Charlet the happiest girl in the school.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

As Harry entered Hogwarts school grounds with Hagrid he began to think of how he would tell Severus about his plan. His stomach was in knots at the thought of the professor's reaction. Whatever punishment he incurred would be worth it, as long as it meant keeping Severus safe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	27. Chapter 27 The Study Date

27 - The Study Date

The trip to Beauxbaton had gone better than Harry had expected. He had thought he might have to beg Charlet to attend the dance this Friday but she had readily agreed. He had no idea he was so popular with the girls, making him feel a little pleasure in that fact. He thought back to his life at Privet Dr. and was so grateful to never have to go back there again. School in the Muggle world had been filled with taunting and embarrassing moments. Whereas school here was looking better and better.

It suddenly occurred to Harry that just when life was getting good for him, he might not be here to enjoy it much longer. Life just wasn't very fair, why couldn't he ever catch a break?

Harry entered the Great Hall for lunch and spotted Ginny sitting with her friends. As he walked over to her he heard his name mentioned. But as soon as the girls saw him they started giggling. He had never considered Ginny as one of those silly, giggling girls but she had been acting so differently towards him lately.

"Hey Harry, how are you?" Ginny turned around on the bench and faced him. Harry actually took her breath away for a moment. She didn't think she had ever seen him looking so good. His hair was unusually neat and even though he was wearing his school uniform it just looked so much nicer then everyone else's. And that fancy cloak was rather dashing over his shoulders.

"Hi Ginny. I hope you don't you mind if we meet down in Professor Snape's quarters to study this evening?" Harry wasn't sure how that was going to go over with the professor but Snape had been insisting he think of the place as his too. And if Ginny was there then he wouldn't have to write in that black book.

Ginny really did not want to meet at Snape's place. The professor still scared her a bit with his sharp tone and severe mannerisms. But on the other hand she really did not want to give up her study date with Harry. She supposed that if she ever did get serious with Harry she would need to learn to tolerate the man.

"Sounds great!" was all she said. Inside, her nerves began to act up and she suddenly lost her appetite.

"Okay, why don't we meet down there after supper? See you then," Harry waved goodbye and went to sit with Ron. He took off his cloak, throwing it carelessly on the bench.

Ron looked up at him with surprise. "Hey Harry where've you been? You didn't show up for any of the morning classes and McGonagall was asking about you."

"Oh, um, I had some stuff to do. What did you tell her?" Harry forgot to come up with an excuse in case someone asked where he was.

"I told her you were with Snape. I think she bought it but she did say you should have let her know." Ron was looking at Harry with an odd look on his face.

"What? What's the matter?" Harry asked.

"Mate, I don't think you've been hanging out with Snape," Ron said with a grin.

"How do you know?"

Ron pointed at Harry's shirt collar and said, "You've got lipstick on your shirt!"

Harry flushed a crimson red as he grabbed his cloak and put it back on to cover his shirt again. He was really glad he hadn't taken the cloak off before he ran into Ginny.

"Erm, Ron I have to tell you something." Harry knew he couldn't tell Ron exactly **why** he had asked Charlet to the dance but he did need to let him know something. "I went to Beauxbaton with Hagrid to deliver the portkey and I asked a girl to the dance."

"Whoa Harry, how lucky can one man get! One man with all those girls! Who is she?"

"No one, I mean she's just a girl I met over the summer," Harry didn't want Ron thinking he liked Charlet but how could he explain without telling him more?

The rest of the lunch was filled with Ron questioning Harry about Charlet. Harry did the best he could answering questions. He was glad when lunch was over and he could get back to Gryffindor Tower and change his shirt.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that evening Harry walked into Snape's quarters looking forward to spending time with his soon to be father. He couldn't help feeling as if a dark cloud was hanging over him every time he thought about confessing what he had done this morning. It was for Snape's own good but Harry knew the Potion Master would not see it that way. He figured he would tell Snape when Ginny left after they had studied together. The thought of the adoption and the study date brought a smile to Harry's face.

"You look pleased," Snape stated when he looked up from his book and observed Harry's smile.

"I was just thinking about some stuff," Harry threw his book bag on the console table and went to join Severus. He plopped down on the sofa, shoving the pillows out of the way and leaning a little against the professor's arm.

Severus put his arm over Harry's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. " How are you feeling?"

"Good." After considering Snape's skeptical look Harry added, "My stomach is a little upset when I eat."

"Yes, that is to be expected. I will give you something to help with that after supper. I have ordered supper for us already." Snape got up and walked over to the dining table. With a flick of his wand the table filled with enough food to feed at least 5 people.

Harry laughed as he walked over and sat down looking at the fancy array of food before him. Wow, all of his favorites and some stuff he had never tried before. He took a big helping of a meat dish with sauce on the top and small roasted potatoes.

Severus watched Harry closely, trying to determine if the boy was in any pain yet. He wanted to make sure Harry ate but wasn't really sure what the boy would be in the mood for. Therefore he ordered everything he could remember Harry ever liking. The boy had good coloring, was in good spirits and was eating well.

"The potion I made to extend the effects of the antidote is now ready. Do you have any objections to taking it after supper?"

"Will it make me sick, like the other one?" Harry thought about his study date with Ginny.

"I do not believe it will upset your stomach quite so much, as it is only extends the effects of the antidote you took three days ago."

"How long do you think I'll have before … you know, it gets bad?" He was thinking he just needed to get through Friday night.

"I'm not quite sure but I do believe we might extend the time you are feeling well for a week." Snape gave Harry an encouraging nod before he continued, "Perhaps longer."

Harry knew exactly what Severus meant by fine but **he** sure didn't feel that way. If Severus really stuck to his own plan, it would put him in serious jeopardy of ending up in Azkaban.

"Severus do you mind if someone comes over to study tonight?" Harry quickly added, "I'll take the potion as soon as she leaves."

Severus watched as the boy nervously straightened his shirt and pressed the fringe down on his forehead. "Harry, I told you once before, this is your home and you may treat it as such."

"I know, it's just that at my old house I was never allowed to have friends over. Not that I would ever _want_ to have friends over."

Snape's face suddenly became hard as an angry glint flashed in his eyes. Harry wished he hadn't of brought up the Dursley's.

"Yes, I see your point," Severus said as he softened the look on his face. "Please feel free to ask anyone you wish. May I ask whom your study partner will be this evening?"

"Um, Ginny Weasley. She asked me yesterday," Harry could feel his face begin to flush and he quickly looked down at his plate and pushed the potatoes around.

"She asked you? Interesting. I have noticed how orderly you look this evening. Is she perhaps the girl you favor?" Severus watched as the poor boy squirmed a little more. But wasn't a parent supposed to ask questions like this?

"I dunno, maybe, I mean yeah, I guess so. But she doesn't know, so don't make any comments about it."

"Rest assured Harry, I will keep my decorum at all times. I do have some potions to work on down in my lab when she arrives," Severus did not want to make the boy more uncomfortable by his being here.

"No, actually I was hoping you would hang around. I want her to get to know you when you're not in full teacher mode," Harry gave a quick glance towards the professor hoping he hadn't offended him.

Snape raised an eyebrow at that as he replied, "I am not exactly sure what that entails but I also have several papers to grade."

Just then the doorbell rang and Harry looked a little panicked. Severus pulled his wand out and cleared the table, then watched as Harry smoothed his shirt again and answered the door.

Harry helped Ginny with her book bag and led her into the living room. Snape was still at the dining room table and rose upon seeing the young Gryffindor.

"Miss Weasley, welcome. May I offer you a beverage?" Snape saw the look of shock cross the girls face but she quickly recovered and gave him a bright smile.

"Hi Professor. Thanks, I am a bit parched. I don't know how many times I walked by your door before I figured it was actually a door. I don't remember it looking like that last time I was here. But then again you escorted me so maybe I just wasn't paying attention at the time. But I thought there was a snake or something on it before," Ginny realized she had been rambling and closed her mouth. She noticed a small smile on Harry's face and punched him lightly on the arm. He broke out into a big grin as he sat down on the floor next to the coffee table.

"Will butterbeer suffice? It seems to be Harry's preferred drink." Snape watched as the girl recovered from her speech regarding the door.

"Yes sir, that sounds lovely," Ginny said as she sat down on the floor next to Harry.

Harry grabbed his Charms book and Ginny reached into her book bag. They spread their books and parchment on the coffee table before them. They agreed to start with Charms and work their way into Transfiguration. Ginny was actually a little ahead of Harry in Charms. It seemed to be her strong subject, so she was able to help Harry catch up a little.

After flicking his wand for the drinks to appear, Severus settled at the desk with his pile of reports to grade. He noticed how helpful Miss Weasley was in giving Harry direction.

Harry seemed a little more relaxed then earlier and conversation between the young pair flowed easily.

"Harry could you help me with something on my Potions report?" Ginny asked as she rifled through her book bag for the report.

"Well, I could try but that's not really my strong subject," Harry furtively glanced at Severus. He noticed the Potion Master's smirk as he continued grading reports.

"Yeah but I'm in fifth year Potions so you already covered this." Ginny pointed to a paragraph on her parchment and handed it over to Harry. "See this one part about dragon scale affects on unicorn hair. Did I get it right?"

Harry tried to remember back to when he had covered that last year. He wasn't quite sure and didn't want Ginny to get it wrong. He looked towards Severus and saw the man still had his head bent over his papers.

"Severus, can I ask you something?" Harry wasn't sure how helpful this would be but it was worth a shot. Ginny on the other hand looked like she was going to have a heart attack and shook her head emphatically at Harry.

"It's **may** I ask you something," Severus corrected, "Yes, you **may** ask."

Harry got up and walked over to the professor with Ginny's parchment. Ginny grabbed Harry's leg and tried to stop him. Harry twisted out of her grasp with a big smile on his face. He walked over to the desk and handed the professor Ginny's parchment.

The professor looked as if he may protest but changed his mind when he saw how mortified Miss Weasley seemed to be. He looked over the paragraph then commented, "Miss Weasley did you read chapter 13 paragraph 3 carefully?"

"Um, I read everything but maybe I missed something," Ginny said as her face flushed red. She was going to kill Harry for this later, when they were alone.

"Very well, then may I give you a suggestion?" Without waiting for her answer he went on to say, "Change boiling to steaming and this report will earn you a grade you will be most pleased with."

It took Ginny a moment to respond but she finally said, "Thank you sir."

Severus handed the report back to Harry. Harry gave him a big smile and mouthed the word 'thanks' before going back to join his study date.

Harry leaned close to Ginny and whispered, "See, it's not so bad studying here, is it?"

Ginny whispered back, "I never said it was."

"Yeah, but you looked as if I was asking you to study at Azkaban when I asked you to come down here earlier." Harry tried to hold back a snigger at the surprised look on Ginny's face.

"Yeah, but I changed my mind, I guess it could be pretty cool to have a dad who teaches here," Ginny said as she leaned into Harry. Her heart was racing as she sat close enough to smell his fresh scent and feel his strong arm against her.

Harry had to stop himself from leaning into the pretty redhead and kissing her. He looked back at his paper and took a drink of pumpkin juice to get his mind off the warm body touching his arm.

They both went back to studying, each trying to keep their mind off the other so they could get through their homework. A few minutes later Ginny glanced over towards Harry and noticed something on his cheek.

Severus had just finished up grading a stack of tests when he looked up and noticed the boy suddenly flinch back over Miss Weasley's touch. The girl had simply touched the side of his face to remove an eyelash.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to um, frighten you," Ginny said as she watched Harry take a deep breath.

"No, you didn't. I just thought it was a spider or something," his voice trailing off in utter humiliation. A sudden vision of Uncle Vernon had flashed in his memory and Harry hoped the panic he had felt had not shown on his face. The last thing he wanted was for Ginny to think he was afraid of spiders like her brother was. He glanced towards the professor and saw the analytical look on his face as he was watching them.

Brilliant! Harry knew this would end up in a conversation leading to the black book.

Snape thought back to the few other times Harry had flinched when someone touched him that way and knew he would need to get Harry to face that memory. Whatever had happened to the boy it had deeply affected him. As Snape continued watching Harry he saw how he held a hand to his stomach. It suddenly occurred to him that he had forgotten to give him something to settle his stomach after eating. He rifled through his potion satchel looking for the stomach relaxer when he noticed a few vials were missing. He double checked but was sure he had a dreamless sleeping potion and a pain potion on hand yesterday.

He looked towards Harry and saw how the boy quickly averted his eyes away from him. Why hadn't Harry just asked him for the potions? Surely the boy would know that he would not be denied. Severus took out the stomach potion and walked towards the coffee table where the Gryffindors were busy studying.

"Harry, I think this may help," Severus said as he handed him the vial.

Harry took it appreciatively, swallowing the whole thing in one gulp. His stomach had been acting up ever since supper but he was trying not to let it show. Obviously he had not done such a good job as Severus had figured it out. He noticed Severus going through his potion bag a moment ago and felt certain the professor knew what was missing.

Ginny watched him take the potion with concern, "What's the matter Harry? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just ate something that didn't agree with me." Harry handed the vial back to the professor. "Thanks Severus, that really did help."

"You know that as your guardian and soon to be father, I prefer you come to me if you are ailing instead of taking potions without consent," Severus said in a firm voice, watching Harry squirm a little.

"Yes sir," Harry said and then pointedly looked towards Ginny.

Snape caught the message and decided to let the subject drop until Miss Weasley went back to the Tower.

Harry was saved from any further embarrassment as the fireplace suddenly turned green and Professor Dumbledore's face appeared.

"Sorry to disturb you but may I have word with you Professor Snape?" Dumbledore had a stern look and didn't even acknowledge the Gryffindors in the room. Harry wondered what could be so dire.

"Certainly Professor," Snape said and threw floo powder into the fireplace before stepping in.

Harry had a hard time concentrating on his homework as he began to wonder what the headmaster was so upset about. He didn't have to wait long as five minutes later the floo turned green. Severus stepped out with an infuriated look on his face. Harry felt Ginny tremble next to him and actually was a little frightened himself at the look of utter fury Snape was trying to mask.

It took every bit of occlumency skill Snape had to say in a calm but shaky voice, "Miss Weasley, I must ask you to leave. It seems I must speak with Mr. Potter in private on a matter I am sure he does not wish to disclose."

Oh, Merlin he knows about Beauxbatons!

Ginny quickly gathered her books and thanked the professor for the drink. Harry walked her to the door and she asked, "Are you going to be alright Harry? Professor Snape looks a little peeved at something."

"Yeah, I know what it's about. He'll be okay after I talk with him." Harry tried to sound nonchalant but his stomach was actually doing flips. He had no idea what kind of punishment this would incur. "I'll see you tomorrow." Harry slowly shut the door trying to postpone the inevitable.

He walked back into the living room and Severus was on him in a flash. He was roughly grabbed by the collar and shoved over towards the fireplace. Harry's heart raced with alarm.

Snape threw in floo powder then forced Harry in with a shove. Harry stumbled into Professor Dumbledore's office and barely had a chance to stand before Snape flooed in and was on him again. This time Snape grabbed hold of his arm and threw him into a chair. Harry landed with a thud and rubbed his arm where he felt sure he would see a bruise.

"Severus, perhaps you should distance yourself from the boy." The Headmaster noticed the look of fury on the Potion Master's face and Dumbledore quickly added, "Just until you have regained your deportment."

"Albus, I will discipline my son as I see fit. Obviously you have indulged his scheming plans way too long. Otherwise why would he feel no compunction at following through with what he did today?"

Severus looked over towards Harry and saw how he was still rubbing the spot on his arm where he had just been grabbed. It helped to lessen the anger he was feeling, slightly. He stood before Harry and said two words, "Explain yourself."

Harry knew better then to lie as it was obvious he had been caught. "Um, I just wanted to help and after you hear what I have to say and have had a chance to think about it then you might think it was actually a good idea."

"Please enlighten us," came the angry voice, just ready to snap any minute. Severus took a few steps back.

"Well, don't get mad but I was in your quarters this morning when you guys were talking about … the plan," Harry watched as both men gave him hard stares. "I think my plan is actually a lot safer for you Professor and it is already set into motion. I asked Charlet to come to the dance on Friday and she agreed. She's coming with Gabrielle."

It took a moment for Snape to react, "Of all the obtuse, dim-witted, totally Gryffindor things to do! You may have just ruined our entire plan in one fell swoop. You have no idea what harm you have caused to yourself!"

Harry stood up, gathering his courage, "No Professor, you're the one who had a foolish plan!"

Snape closed the gap between them in a flash. Harry backed up into the wall with fear in his eyes and instinctively raised his arm to cover his face. Dumbledore was up on his feet. Everyone froze for a second before Snape grabbed Harry's arm and lowered it slowly, gently. Then he turned on his heel and strode to the other side of the room with his long arms crossed in front of him. Harry stayed by the wall with his heart pounding in his ears.

Dumbledore's soft voice calmed Harry, "Now now, let us hear Mr. Potter out. It may well be too late to change the plans he has set in to motion." Dumbledore gave him an encouraging look and Harry continued.

"Well, um she's not going to let Madame Maxime know she's coming so Vespa won't have to be notified." Harry wasn't sure if Severus was even listening as the man still had his back to him.

"Exactly how is she going to accomplish that," Dumbledore asked with a bit of pride in his voice.

Severus spun around to face the Headmaster and laid into him with ferocity, "How dare you encourage him with these escapades he concocts! He is but a boy and you send him on life threatening missions! I will not have my son put in danger for the entertainment of some deranged old man!"

Harry couldn't believe Snape had just said that to the Headmaster. He hoped Snape wouldn't get fired over those scathing remarks. But the Headmaster seemed to just let it go in one ear and out the other as he replied, "Certainly asking a young lady to attend a school dance would not put your son at risk Severus."

"You obviously do not know my young cousin. She is a viper in sheep's clothes. She would just as soon kill Harry then to dance with him if that would benefit her in any way. No! Harry you will not follow through with this ridiculous plan and that is final!" Snape paced back and forth before asking, "How was Charlet going to get here without Madame Maxime knowing?"

Harry cleared his throat before answering, "Um, I left her my invisibility cloak. She's just going to join Gabrielle and no one will see her leave." Harry wearily watched as the professor continued pacing.

After a few long minutes Severus spoke in a much calmer voice, "I need to reflect on the matter some more. However, I am greatly displeased with your behavior Mr. Potter. I had thought you had more trust in me then to sneak off of school grounds. In the mean time we should be getting back home. I would like to administer the potion as soon as possible."

Dumbledore stood up again and said, "Yes, I feel a good night's sleep would do us all some good."

Snape gave Dumbledore a nod before once again taking hold of Harry's arm. Harry roughly shook him off and threw the floo powder in himself. When he walked into the dungeon living room he quickly headed for his bedroom. Snape flooed in and followed him into the room.

Harry paced back and forth in front of his bed staring at the ground, a jumble of emotions running through him. How could Snape treat him like that, like he had wanted to hit him?

Snape stood in the doorway with his arms folded, watching the boy pace. "Do you really feel that I would have struck you?"

Harry stopped pacing and turned towards the professor, "Why? Do you think that is such an absurd idea? Answer truthfully; did you want to hit me?"

Snape was taken aback as he knew that for a half a second he had wanted to strike the boy. But that was just out of fear for the boy's safety. Or was it? He didn't know how to answer that question as he could tell his answer was important to the boy. He opted to ignore the question altogether and pulled the vial of potion out of his robe.

Harry looked away and Severus couldn't tell what he was thinking any longer. He knew he didn't have an excuse for being so rough with the boy, his actions had come instinctively.

Severus shook the vial up and handed it to Harry. Harry quickly swallowed it and handed the vial back without looking up again.

Snape was at a loss as to what he should say at the moment. He was still angry over Harry's exploits but felt guilty over his reaction to hearing about it. Harry walked past him and went into the bathroom. Snape heard the shower running and went back out into the living room.

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A while later Snape went in to check on Harry. The boy was fast asleep on his back with one arm thrown over his head. Snape stepped closer to cover the boy and to his horror saw a deep red handprint on the boy's upper arm. He covered Harry with the blanket that had been kicked to the floor then walked back out to the living room and sat down heavily.

Severus covered his face with his hand as he thought about his relationship with his son. Harry deserved so much more than an angry ex-Death Eater for a father. How could he ever be everything the boy deserved and needed? It occurred to him that Harry never had anyone of real importance to compare him with. As far as Severus was concerned Black never had custody of Harry, never having to discipline the boy. Snape had plenty of experience dealing with the students in Slytherin but felt no attachment to any of the students. He had never put much thought into how the students felt when they were doled out punishments. Harry was his son now and he did not want to hurt the boy physically nor emotionally.

After an hour of contemplating on the matter Snape decided to floo call Arthur Weasley and ask for a little advice on the subject. At this point he knew he needed help in dealing with an adolescent boy with a mind of his own. If anybody knew how to deal with Harry it would be a father of six boys, two of which were notorious rule breakers.

Just as he picked up the floo powder Harry walked into the living room with his hair plastered to his head with perspiration and his t-shirt wet and clinging to him. He was rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"What has happened? Did you have another vision?" Snape walked over to the sleepy teen and led him to the sofa.

"Um, I think I did have another vision but it was like the other ones. I just need some water," Harry said in a hoarse voice.

Severus studied the boy for a moment then flicked his wand. A pitcher of water and glass appeared on the coffee table. Severus handed Harry a full glass of water, watching as the teen moved further away from him.

"Harry could you tell me what the dream was about?" Snape pulled a handkerchief out of his robe pocket and handed it to Harry.

"I already told you, it's just like the other ones, you know about Ginny. This time she was being taken out of the Great Hall, so I already know it's not true. Why can't Voldemort just leave me alone?"

Snape thought Harry's voice still sounded hoarse and scratchy. Almost as if he had a cold. A thought occurred to him and he asked, "Harry have you been screaming?"

Harry looked uncomfortable but nodded his head briefly.

"So, you cast a silencing spell around your bed?" Snape knew the answer before Harry nodded his head once more. Snape thought about that before he said, "I wish you wouldn't do that while you're down here. You have no need to worry about anyone besides myself hearing you. As a matter of fact I would like to be there for you if you wake up in such a state again."

Harry looked at him with distrust clearly showing on his face. He felt a little embarrassed about the false dreams and didn't see any reason to let Severus know he was still having them. Besides, he wasn't feeling particularly friendly towards the man right now.

Severus moved over to sit next to Harry and watched as the teen leaned away from him.

"You are angry with me," Severus stated rather than asked.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and continued staring at his hands, "You wanted to hit me."

Severus could hear the underlie anger in the boy's voice, "My instincts at parenting are rather unsophisticated. My performance was unforgivable."

Harry looked up at the professor and saw how remorseful he seemed to be. It made him feel a little guilty, after all he really did deserve to be punished, "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault, I tend to push people to that point."

"Harry," Severus began in an exasperated tone, "my reactions are purely my own. I should have shown more restraint." He raised his hand up slowly and pushed Harry's wet hair off his forehead. He could see the scar had turned an angry red. Severus lightly brushed over it with his thumb.

"Does it hurt?"

Harry dropped his head in his hands then said, "Not so much anymore. But now I just know I won't go back to sleep. It takes me hours after ..." Harry ran his fingers through his damp hair and sat up straight again. Feeling frustrated over having to deal with Voldemort on top of everything else.

"That is unfortunate. You should be getting plenty of sleep while you are taking the potion I made."

"Yeah, well Voldemort doesn't seem to understand that. I just hate the evil bastard." Harry looked into the professor's eyes before asking, "Um, are you still mad I went to Beauxbatons?"

The professor took a deep breath, "There are two points I wish you to understand. The first point being that your safety means more to me than you could possibly fathom. The second being that your lack of trust in me is rather … distressful. Within the next few days we should receive the official documents stating that I am your legal Father. I hope by then you could let your guard down enough to trust me."

Harry felt horrible about hurting Severus like that. It really had never occurred to him that Severus would look at his trip to Beauxbaton's as anything other than him trying to help. Merlin, he just couldn't do anything right with this relationship. He actually did trust Severus. He probably trusted him more than any other person he had ever met. Then if that was the truth why couldn't he open up about Privet Dr.?

Harry made a sudden decision to show Severus just how much he trusted him. He got up and walked over to the desk, rifling through the papers until he found the black book. He walked back over to the sofa and sat down next to Severus.

"I trust you more than you know. I'm going to begin writing in the book tonight and I give you permission to read it. I just hope you still want me… after you read it."

"Harry, there is nothing that would be able to stop this adoption from happening. Anything you write in that book will not change the way I feel. It will only show me just how much you trust me."

Harry got up still holding the book in his hand. He gave the professor a small smile and headed into his bedroom to begin to open the vault of nightmares, otherwise known as Uncle Vernon.

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	28. Chapter 28 The Black Book

28 - The Black Book

Harry paced in his bedroom thinking about Privet Drive. He was holding the black book in his hand and wondering how or where to begin. Was he supposed to write down everything that happened to him, like a report or was he just supposed to write what he was feeling, like a diary? Harry paced a little more hoping that writing in the book did help him in some way. He was getting pretty tired of hiding his fear every time someone touched him a certain way. This evening with Ginny had been the pinnacle of his embarrassing moments with fear. He hated himself for jumping at her gentle touch. He thought about that for a moment and decided that was as good a place as any to begin.

He sat on his bed and leaned up against the headboard with his legs stretched out before him. He took out the self filling quill that Hermione had bought him. The first line was rather awkward to write as it didn't really begin properly but he figured it shouldn't really matter.

_This evening when Ginny touched the side of my face it brought back a memory of Uncle Vernon that has been burned into my mind. He used to like to teach me lessons to help me change into someone better. At the start of each lesson he would talk about keeping quite so Hedwig wouldn't need to be harmed. I knew that he was serious about hurting her. During one lesson I couldn't help screaming and the next day he gave me a handful of her feathers as proof to what he had done. I think it is the worse feeling to know that you caused someone you love to get hurt. I hate that I do it all the time to people I love._

_I hate the way I felt so scared when he bound my hands to the bed. I remember hearing his heavy steps coming up to my room and could feel my heart begin to race. I should have been able to do something to stop it but I guess I was too scared, or too guilty or probably both. The beatings hurt but I never had nightmares about them, at least not anymore. My nightmares have been about that touch at the end of the beatings. When it was all over he would just lightly touch the side of my face and say that he thought I wasn't trying hard enough. _

_I hate the way I didn't do anything to fight back_

_I hate the way my uncontrolled magic was gone and wouldn't come back to protect me_

_I hate the way I tried so hard to change for the bastard_

_I hate the way he touched my face when it was all over and told me I had to try harder, I wasn't good enough , that I deserved my punishments - I hated hearing that I deserved it because I knew it to be true_

At this point Harry couldn't go on anymore as the tears were rolling down his face and he couldn't see the parchment clearly. He didn't want to do this anymore. It hurt too much and he was beginning to think it wouldn't help anyways. All these feelings were just painful and raw and he didn't know what he was supposed to do with them. He hated that damn book!

He threw the book against the wall then curled up and just cried. He cried for everything that he was so sorry had happened. He cried for killing Sirius and Cedric. He just didn't want to feel this way anymore.

Just then he felt a gentle hand on his back. He reached back and grabbed Severus' hand but continued to let his tears flow. He held on to the professor's hand not caring that Severus witness his grief. He felt himself drain of all the bad things that had happened to him over the summer and suddenly felt exhausted.

Severus handed him a handkerchief and placed a hand on his shoulder while Harry wiped his face and gathered his emotions. Harry sat up, feeling better but still raw with emotion.

"Do you mind if I read what you wrote?" Severus asked as he spotted the book by the wall.

"Go ahead, I mean I haven't really got much to hide from you, do I?" Harry leaned back against the pillows while watching the professor read what he had just written.

At first the professor's face remained blank, like most always. But then he dropped his face into his hand.

The professor turned towards Harry with a tear on his face and a look of sorrow. Harry was taken aback and didn't know what to say at first.

"Um, are you okay professor?" Harry asked tentatively and handed the professor the handkerchief back.

Severus knew exactly what Harry had been doing; taking all the bad things that had ever happened in his life and making them his own fault. It wasn't the abuse that had been haunting the boy, it was Harry's guilt. Severus knew that Harry really had felt responsible for his own parent's death, Sirius, Cedric, Vernon's abuse, and worse; even the times that Snape himself had harmed the boy. Harry actually thought it was his own entire fault that he had brought it all on. Severus did not know where to begin.

"Harry, first off I want you to know just how proud of you I am. It took courage and bravery to write this," Severus held the book up. "I know you wrote what was in your heart and that takes a big man to face that challenge. I for one pushed those feelings down and became embittered for most of my life. I make a promise to you that I will not let that happen to you. We will get through this together and you will come to see that the experiences you had were not caused by your own making." Severus looked into Harry's face for any signs of acceptance.

Harry just looked sad. "Thank you for saying that but I don't really need you to tell me that none of it was my fault. I won't believe that because I know that it was my fault."

"Yes, I know you do, but it still does not make it true. The way your Uncle treated you was revolting. You came to him a small child, a baby as innocent and pure as one can ever be. He was frightened of you even way back then. Not for any valid reason but purely out of stupidity. I saw into his memories Harry, I know what he was thinking. He was frightened of you, he was afraid because you had not turned out to be this monster that he had once thought you would end up as. He hated you for all that his son was not."

"But they love Dudley. They think he's great. I know that's true because they say it all the time."

"No Harry, they say it all the time because they are trying to make it so. Vernon took all the anger he felt at what his son was failing at and turned it on you. You became his outlet, his way to vent. I saw the way he felt Harry. There was admiration for your courage that ate away at him, making him become harsher with his so called lessons. He wanted to see you break, to fall apart. He hated to feel admiration for your courage and at the same time hated Dudley's cowardice along with his own." Severus let that sink in, watching Harry's face closely.

Harry wanted it to be true but found it hard to accept. "Severus, Vernon never admired anything I did. I know I tried my whole life to get him to love me."

Harry suddenly stopped talking and thought about that for a moment. Was he really so desperate for Vernon's acceptance and love? Harry thought about who that man really was. After a moment he came to the sudden realization that he had no respect for the man. That even if Vernon was to accept him for who and what he was, it wouldn't change the way Harry felt towards him. Vernon no longer had any power over him because Harry saw him for who he really was. The way that Vernon had touched his face before was so powerful to Harry because it was the only time the man had ever touched him without hurting him. In a twisted way Harry knew that he craved that touch at the end of his 'lessons'. It was sick and disgusting but it was true. That touch represented love to him, but now he saw it for what it really was.

Harry looked up at the professor and said, "Severus, do you mind if we stop talking about this? I hear what it is you are trying to tell me but I need some more time to make it true to myself. I just need some time to think about it."

Severus tilted Harry's face up towards him and looked into his eyes. Harry knew Severus was reading his mind, his true feelings and decided not to protest. The connection with Severus had grown so strong that the professor didn't really need to cast Legilimens to be able to read Harry's mind anymore. He would simply concentrate and look into Harry's eyes to see his memories and feelings. After a moment Severus seemed satisfied and let Harry's chin go.

"We have just begun to unravel the damage your uncle has done to you Harry. I will leave it be for tonight but we will continue these discussions and the black book at another time."

Harry leaned into the professor giving him a quick hug.

The professor seemed caught off guard and said," What was that for?"

"I dunno, I guess I'm just happy you're here." Harry looked away as his face flushed.

"Well of course I'm here you silly child. I am soon to be your father, where else would I be?" Severus pushed Harry's hair back from his forehead and said, "Get some sleep, it's almost morning."

Harry got under the covers and turned out the light. He was actually feeling peaceful knowing that he would get through this mess with the help of Severus.

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Harry woke up in the morning with his arm throbbing with pain. It really made him angry that Vespa had not only poisoned him but also hurt his arm making it harder for him to play Quidditch. He wasn't about to give up his Quidditch practice today though and decided to ask Severus for some pain potion.

After taking the pain potion and promising Severus he would check in with him before practice, he left to go up to his classes.

On his way up to class, Harry ran into a group of Slytherins hanging out on the staircase.

"What the hell are you doing down here Potter?" said a tall seventh year teen with long brown hair and piercing green eyes. Harry had seen him around but had never had cause to talk with him before; he didn't even know his name.

Harry ignored him as he stepped around the group and headed up the staircase. The tall seventh year grabbed his cloak from behind, "I asked you a question Potter!" The teen looked as if he was trying to impress the group of girls with him.

Harry didn't know where it came from but a surge of magic went through him making him feel a bit more confident. He whipped around with fury and grabbed hold of the Slytherins wrist with an iron grip. He held it, twisting until the boy was kneeling on the ground in pain. He saw how the boy was trying to get his wand out of his cloak and Harry quickly yelled, "Expelliarmus!"

The Slytherin's wand went flying past both boy's, smacking against the far wall with sparks.

"Don't touch me," Harry said in a dangerous tone. He twisted the boy's wrist until the Slytherin cried out. He felt powerful enough to actually break it and had to stop himself. He let go when the teen gave him a pleading look with tears in his eyes. As he straightened up he noticed someone watching from a doorway.

Snape walked towards the group with robes billowing and a scowl on his face that made Harry wish he hadn't just done that to one of Snape's Slytherins. Harry stood up straighter making sure not to step back but couldn't hide the look of guilt on his face.

The Slytherin on the floor quickly stood up as well with a look of fear across his face as he held his wrist to him.

Snape glared down at the Slytherin and said in a deadly quite voice, "Do not lay hands on my son again or you will have **me** to answer to."

The Slytherin looked as if he just might pee his pants but stuttered out, "Y-your son? I-I'm sorry sir. I thought it was just a false rumor, I'm sorry sir."

Snape didn't say anything else. He glared at the group before grabbing Harry's arm and escorting him up the staircase. When they reached the door to the Potion classroom Snape turned Harry towards him and looked for any injuries.

"I'm okay Sir," Harry said and straightened his robe. "I'm sorry about that guy. I was just going to ignore him but …"

Snape cut him off, "I'm not mad at you Harry. He brought it on himself. I am actually rather proud of you." With that said he turned on his heel and headed into his potion classroom.

Harry stood in the hallway, watching after his guardian until the classroom door closed. Wow! Snape not only stood up for him but he had actually called him his son. Having a dad who everyone was scared of was kinda cool!

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After Harry's last class he went down to the locker room to change for practice. He was just about to walk into the Quidditch locker room but stopped when he heard Ginny's name being mentioned by Dean.

"Okay, I'll bet you ten chocolate frogs that I get more than serious snogging after the dance," Dean said challengingly.

"I'll take that bet!" Harry heard Seamus say and a few more Gryffindor joined along.

"How will we know who gets farther?" Dean was asking Seamus.

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. They were actually placing bets on who gets the furthest with their dates. He wanted to rip Dean's head off! Harry couldn't listen to them talk about Ginny like that any longer and stormed into the locker room.

"Hey! What the hell are you guys talking about?" he threw his book bag on the bench.

All eyes turned to him and he suddenly realized that it would look pretty obvious to everyone if he got mad over hearing Ginny talked about like that. The guys were always talking about the girls they liked. Harry knew they didn't mean anything bad or hurtful. These were his friends and her friends too, even if they were acting like prats.

"Hey Harry, do you want in on our bet? It's too bad your not going to the dance too or you could be part of the competition." Seamus walked over and clapped Harry on the back.

Harry knew this was just locker room talk but those guys were talking about Ginny, damn it!

"Hey guys what's going on?" Ron walked in and looked around.

For a moment no one spoke since they had just been talking about his little sister.

Finally Seamus said, "We were just talking about the dance. You're goin aren't you Weasley?"

"Yeah, I'm taking Hermione. She's been going on about what she's wearing all week."

Harry finished dressing in his Quidditch practice uniform and decided to get out of there before he said something to Dean. He had forgotten to see Severus as promised and decided to go find him. He might as well get some more pain potion too. He thought maybe Severus might be in his classroom getting ready for tomorrows lessons and headed down to the potion class.

He walked into the classroom and right away spotted Severus at his desk correcting papers.

"Hi Severus. Do you want to come to practice?" Harry was looking down tying his Quidditch robe as he walked towards the professor.

He looked up when he heard the professor clear his throat. He suddenly noticed they were not alone. There were six girls sitting in the class room on detention. Ginny was sitting right in the middle with a scrub brush in one hand and a dirty cauldron in the other.

"Oops, I thought you were alone. Sorry Professor," Harry gave Ginny a little wave.

"How are you feeling Mr. Potter?" Snape had his official teacher's voice going.

Harry knew something must have set him off, most likely the girls doing the detention. "Um, I feel good except for my arm, Sir."

"Come here, let me take a look," Severus motioned him over to the desk. The professor rolled up Harry's sleeve, examining the purple bruise. "Yes, it might be a few more days before the dark magic has been fully expelled. Are you in need of another pain potion?"

"Yes Sir," Harry looked behind him as he heard a few of the girls giggling. Ginny had a scowl on her face as she looked at the giggling bunch who were blatantly starring at Harry.

Snape gave the girls a scowl and motioned for Harry to follow him into his adjoining office.

As soon as the door closed Harry asked Severus what the girls had done to get detention. At first Severus seemed like he wasn't going to tell him but changed his mind.

"Those girls were in the process of brewing a love potion. I distinctly heard your name mentioned before they noticed me. You must be careful not to eat or drink anything unless you know who made it. Do you understand?" Snape looked more irritated then ever.

"Yes Sir, but why was Ginny in there?" Harry knew she wouldn't have anything to do with that nonsense.

"Ms. Weasley took it upon herself to dole out punishments to the students involved," Snape pulled Harry's arm towards him and rubbed healing potion on the bruise. "Apparently she feels the need to protect you and gave the girls candy from her brother's joke shop. She obviously did not feel the detention I gave them was sufficient punishment."

"Uh oh, what happened to the girls?" Harry knew better than to get a Weasley on his wrong side now that the twins joke shop was up and running. Some of the candies in the shop could be down right dangerous.

"Evidently the candy she gave them left them unable to talk. They have been giggling incessantly for the past two hours non stop! I am actually more displeased at her for making me sit through that nonsense then at the actual perpetrators. I told her she may leave as soon as their voice's return to normal as I do not have an antidote." Snape handed Harry the vial of pain potion.

"Severus, Ginny was just trying to help. We have Quidditch practice right now. Maybe she could make up the detention tonight," Harry hated to see her getting in trouble because of him.

"Oh sure Harry, where would you like Miss Weasley to serve her detention? In our quarters perhaps?" Severus said with sarcasm. "No, I think not. She is just as guilty as the other students and will serve her detention alongside her fellow classmates."

Harry gave him a look of frustration and shook his head. They walked back through the classroom towards the main hallway and Harry saw Ginny doing her best to scrub that filthy cauldron. Harry took out his wand and flicked it in her direction. The cauldron looked as if it were brand new. Ginny looked around and spotted Harry. She gave him a thumbs up signal. Harry waved good bye and agreed to meet Severus for supper in the dungeon.

He was heading back to the Quiddich pitch when he was suddenly grabbed from behind. He whipped around to find Ginny with a huge grin on her face.

"Thanks Harry! Whatever you said to the professor really helped. He was glaring at me the whole time those girls wouldn't shut up. I thought he was going to stick me in a cauldron and put me in some sort of potion. After you left he just waved his hand and told me to go play Quidditch!" Ginny was elated to be out of that room and away from those giggling girls.

"Brilliant!" Harry felt like Severus was really trying to make this work for the both of them. "Hey Ginny, you must be pretty tired after scrubbing out all those cauldrons, why don't you jump on and I'll give you a ride."

Ginny's smile got bigger as she jumped on Harry's back and they headed down to the Quidditch pitch.

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After Quidditch practice Harry felt as if his stomach was on fire again. It seemed that the more he exercised the worse he felt. He asked Ron to come down and have dinner with him and the professor, hoping that would distract Snape enough not to notice the pain he was in. Ron really didn't want to spend his free time with the professor but Ginny had said that Snape was actually nice to her. They walked into Snape's quarters and were surprised to see Ron's Dad sitting on the sofa drinking a butterbeer.

"Hey Dad, good to see ya!" Ron went to him and gave him a hug. "What are you doin here?"

"Arthur was kind enough to visit and give me a few parenting tips," the professor said as he spelled more bottles of butterbeer onto the coffee table. Severus considered Harry's appearance and thought the boy looked to be having pain once again. It seemed the Quidditch practice might be expending too much energy from the poor boy.

Harry tried to push the pain away and walked over to give Mr. Weasley a big hug too. The last time he had seen him was at the Dursley's house. He had never been so happy to see anyone in his entire life. But he had never been so sad to see anyone leave in his entire life. Harry remembered that day all too well.

"Ah Harry, it's so good to see you son," Mr. Weasley hugged him back hard with tears in his eyes at the sight of Harry looking so cared for and happy. Both Severus and Ron had no idea what had transpired between Harry and Arthur but they respectfully did not ask as they watched both men wipe away tears.

Severus looked concerned at the emotion Harry was showing and protectively placed his arm over the boy's shoulder when Harry joined him on the sofa. He leaned close and whispered, "Are you okay?"

Harry nodded giving the professor a small smile.

Mr. Weasley stayed for supper, making the evening even more fun with his tales of the twin's escapades. Harry was proud of the way Severus let his guard down and at least grinned as everyone else laughed at the tales that were told. When everyone had finished supper Severus stood up and said he had an announcement to make. Harry had no idea what this was all about as he sat nervously waiting to hear.

"Today I received a letter that will change my destiny along with Harry's. I am pleased to announce that I am now officially Harry's father." With that said Severus pulled a rolled up parchment out of his robe and handed it to Harry.

Harry wasn't quite ready for everything to happen so fast. He didn't know what to say as a fleeting thought of his real father James came to mind. He didn't know what James would think about this but figured he would want Harry to be happy. At that thought he smiled and quietly said, "Wow! It's real then?" He unrolled the parchment and saw his name along with the professors.

Severus was watching him carefully, looking for any signs of disappointment. He nodded his head and waited for Harry to speak again.

"Um, well I don't know what to say. I mean I've just felt lucky that you even decided to become my guardian. I just never thought you would really want me for good." Harry was still looking at the parchment and missed the looks of sadness on the rest of the men's faces over hearing him say such a thing.

Severus walked over to Harry as the boy stood up and faced the professor.

"Son, you've no idea what you bring to this relationship. I am the one who is most grateful for a chance to be a father to you."

Harry couldn't believe this had happened. He had a father! Someone who took care of him and watched out for him. A man that Harry actually respected and liked as a person.

Mr. Weasley spoke up with an emotional voice, "Congratulations to both of you. Severus I know I speak for Molly as well when I say that if we couldn't adopt Harry, we're glad that you did. After watching the way you took such loving care of him this past summer we gave this adoption our blessing. And that is saying a lot because we couldn't love Harry anymore than if he was one of our own."

Both Harry and Severus thanked Arthur for his kind words.

Ron spoke up next, "Congratulations Harry! I know how much having a dad means to you. So what are you going to call Professor Snape now?"

Harry felt uncomfortable and looked towards the professor to see what his reaction to the comment was. "Um, you know, I'll still call him Severus." Harry watched as the professor furrowed his brow. Harry wasn't sure if he looked a little mad because of what Ron had asked or if he wanted to be called something else.

"Harry you can't call your dad by his first name. You have to call him Dad or Father," Ron said in an exasperated tone of voice.

Harry just wished Ron would shut up now. He felt awkward about the whole name issue. He glanced back at Severus and saw the professor was looking a bit amused at the whole topic. What did that mean? Did he want Harry to call him father or dad? Harry didn't think Severus was the "dad" type. He chose not to respond to Ron and instead asked a question that had been on his mind.

"Severus, does Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia know about this?" Harry had been nervous over them finding out and putting a stop to this adoption.

"Why do you ask?" Severus hoped Harry was not taking their feelings into consideration. As far as he was concerned the Dursley's lost all privileges to having a say in Harry's life.

"I was just wondering if they were still my guardians in the muggle world?" Harry said just above a whisper.

"Harry, they have lost all rights and privileges to have anything to do with you, in the magical world and in the Muggle world. Furthermore if they petition to turn over this adoption they will immediately be charged with child abuse. Those were the conditions I allowed in exchange for them to sign custody over to me." Severus saw the disturbed look on Harry's face and begin to wonder if he might be hurt over his family no longer wanting him. "Harry, your Aunt Petunia fought against this adoption."

"What do you mean?" Harry wasn't sure he understood.

"Petunia did not want to lose custody. We had to convince her with pictures of you from your hospital stay. I have come to believe she did not know the extend to which you were being abused. After she was convinced she readily signed custody over to keep you from any further abuse." Severus left out the part with Petunia accusing Harry of inflicting those wounds to himself. It had taken quite a bit of convincing to make her realize Vernon had done the abuse.

Harry responded with, "Hmm."

Now Severus was really wondering what was going through the boy's mind. If the Weasley's were not present he might have read the boy's mind. "Harry, you're not regretting this are you?"

"N-no sir, why are you?" Harry panicked at the thought of this ending so soon.

"You must have been hit on the head with a bludger at practice to even consider that question. To answer your ridiculous question; No Harry. You are stuck with me so you better get used to it." Severus said with dry wit.

Harry felt relief course through him at hearing that and said, "Good that's how I feel too."

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Thanks for the great encouragement! Send some more!


	29. Chapter 29 Dad?

Chapter 29- Dad?

The next day the whole school seemed to be alive with excitement over the big dance tomorrow. The teachers had a hard time keeping the students on task as they couldn't stop talking about what they were wearing and whom they were going with.

Harry tried not to think about whom he was taking but it became the center of topic during Transfiguration. McGonagall was called out of class for a few moments and Seamus begun talking about his Beauxbaton date. Seamus announced to the whole class that Harry was also bringing a Beauxbaton girl.

Seamus had received an owl that morning from Gabrielle detailing the portkey arrival and who the secret stow away would be. Apparently Gabrielle did not describe Charlet in glowing terms because Seamus kept referring to her as the stuck up snob from Beauxbatons. It didn't really bother Harry because he actually felt the same way but if he was going to make this look real he thought he better stand up for Charlet.

"Seamus, stop calling her a snob," Harry said half heartedly. "She's my date."

"I'm only repeating what Gabrielle wrote. Rumor has it that your date has a closet filled with furs and her own house elf at school," Seamus said loud enough for everyone to hear.

Oh, Harry figured that was probably true, how could you argue with the truth. He gave it a try for appearances sake, "Well, I'm sure half the girls at that school have the same."

Draco seemed to be very interested in the conversation but he remained quiet as he listened. Harry could see him shush Goyle and lean towards the Gryffindors.

Seamus started in on Charlet again, "Gabrielle said that your date is wearing a dress with real diamonds and a crown to match Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes at his friend and shook his head. She could wear a rubbish sack for all he cared.

He was saved from having to say anything further on the matter as Parvati spoke up, "Seamus a whole lot of girls are wearing tiaras, there's nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact I am wearing one."

Lavender spoke up next, "I'm wearing one too."

Soon the discussion turned to tiaras and who was wearing what kind with what color dress and shoes.

Harry tuned out the conversation and concentrated on his Transfiguration book. He hadn't any time to do his homework last night and didn't want to get caught unprepared.

The classroom door opened and a house elf walked in. He walked directly over to Harry and handed him a note, then disappeared with a 'Pop'.

Harry opened the note and saw that it was from Severus. Ron leaned in to look and asked who it was from.

"It's from Severus; he wants me to meet him in Dumbledore's office right now." Harry gathered his books and started stuffing them in his bag.

"Oh, you mean it's from your Dad," Ron said with a smirk.

Oh no, Harry did not want to bring up that conversation again. He still didn't think he could bring himself to call Severus 'Dad'.

"What do you mean from Harry's dad?" Seamus asked loud enough to get the attention of the students sitting by them, including Draco and Goyle.

"Harry, didn't you tell everyone?" Ron asked thinking he might have just blown a secret.

"Not yet, but you can tell them if you want," Harry stood up and picked up his book bag. He was headed for the classroom door. He heard Ron make the announcement that Snape had adopted him and heard the gasps of horror from the Gryffindor's.

He didn't care what anyone else thought but it was nice to hear Ron assure them that Snape had changed and was actually a good dad. Just as he stepped out the door he heard Ron giving a run down of all the new things Severus had bought him. Harry didn't care if the professor ever bought him another thing again as long as Severus would remain his father.

Harry walked up to the Headmaster's office thinking about how nice it was to say he had a dad now. It made him feel less … different. He just wanted to be normal and Severus helped him to feel that way.

He had been trying not to think about the poison running through his system but it was getting harder not to. His stomach had been starting to hurt dreadfully after every meal. Severus had given him vials of stomach relaxer to keep in his robe pocket but even those were not helping quite as much anymore. But he still thought he would be able to make it through the Friday night dance as well as the big Quidditch game on Saturday. He didn't care how bad he felt, he wasn't going to miss playing against Slytherin. A thought occurred to him; who would Severus root for now in Quidditch?

After giving the secret password and going up the winding staircase, Harry knocked on the Headmaster's door. The door opened on its own and Harry saw Severus sitting across from Dumbledore.

"Come in, come in my boy! I hear congratulations are in order. You have both made me very happy; it is everything I had hoped for the two of you!" Dumbledore gave Harry a big hug, then went to sit back behind his desk.

Severus remained seated and indicated the chair next to him for Harry to sit in, "Take a seat. You look ill."

Harry felt like one of the professor's potions by the way he kept examining him. It was getting progressively harder to hide his pain but he tried. "I'm good." was all he said, quickly taking a seat and hopefully ending the inspection.

Professor Dumbledore spoke up, "We have called this meeting so we can fill you in on the plan Harry. Severus has agreed to have Charlet attend the dance with you tomorrow evening. However we have decided the risk is too great to apprehend Miss Charlet during the festivities. We both do not want to have the ministry suspect you in the slightest."

"So, how are you going to kidnap her then?" Harry asked.

Severus spoke up first, "At the conclusion of the ball, you are to give Charlet this necklace." Snape held up a magnificent blue heart shaped diamond with tiny white diamonds surrounding it. "This is a portkey that will be activated the following day. That way she will return to her school unharmed and no one will suspect you in the least."

Harry held the diamond necklace in his hands with care. "This must have cost a fortune Severus?"

"Harry, I know Charlet and if you present her with a small diamond it would end up in the bottom of her trunk." Severus carefully put the diamond necklace back in the box and stuck it in his robe pocket. He patted it as he said, "This is a small price to pay for the health of my son."

Harry looked at him with a small smile and said, "Thanks Severus. Yeah, you're probably right; she'll wear a big diamond for sure. But what if she takes it off before it's been activated?"

"The portkey will go off the minute she is no longer in the palace walls **and **wearing this necklace. I've added a magical lock on the necklace clasp so she will not be able to remove it after you place it around her neck. I've no idea what time it will transport Charlet to the cave. That will depend on whatever time she chooses to go outside, even on the balcony it should work. But I do have an alarm that will go off the minute she is transported." Severus began to feel uncomfortable about revealing any more of the plan. From that point forward, the plan might take a turn that he did not want his son to know about.

"What's going to happen after that?" Harry did not want his new father to risk going to Azkaban because of him.

"That my boy is none of your business," said Dumbledore with a patronizing smile. "But we must be sure not to let anyone else know anything about the poison. I have had to obliterate the Aurors I had searching for Vespa. I have **not **alerted any order members nor any staff members. I have a feeling Ministry Aurors will be involved along with the use of Veritaserum. We can not take any chances that your friends or any staff member reveal any information. Without the knowledge of the poison they have nothing else to link Severus to the kidnapping."

"Yeah but Vespa will say something!" Harry said with force. This plan was getting too risky.

"What could she say Harry? She is not about to reveal her hand in poisoning you. Even if they do interrogate me I will be immune to the Veritaserum. I have been taking the antidote for the past week to let it build up in my system, they will get no information from me." Severus was at ease with the plan.

Harry wasn't so sure about the whole thing. Severus continued to study him and knew that he was in considerable pain by the way he was guarding his stomach and perspiring on his brow.

"Harry, may I ask if you have been eating three full meals a day?" Severus already knew the answer.

Harry shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to lie to his new father.

"That brings me to a rather difficult topic. I hope you accept this as fact and do not fight me on this decision." Severus watched the boy tense up.

"After due consideration I regret to say that you will not be playing in the Quidditch match this Saturday," Severus braced himself for the worse.

"No! You can't do that!" Harry couldn't believe that Severus would ban him from playing, knowing how much this game meant to him.

"Oh but I can and my decision stands. You failed to let me know how much pain you were in yesterday after practice and how much pain you are in at the present time. I have come to the conclusion that the more exercise you exert the more pain you are in. The antidote I gave you is but a copy of the true antidote and does not have the same strength," Severus replied in a stern tone of voice that he hoped would deter the teen from further argument.

Harry couldn't contain his anger and yelled, "Well what the hell is in that antidote to make it stronger?" He noticed the look on the potion master's face become less serious and more troubled. "What Severus? What are you not telling me?"

Severus took a deep breath and said, "The antidote is rather complicated Harry. I was able to figure out what the missing ingredient is, but … I am not sure that you wish to hear it." Severus looked away.

Dumbledore quickly spoke up, "Nor am I. Let's end this meeting …"

Harry quickly cut him off, "What the hell is in it Severus!" Harry reached over and grabbed the professor's arm until the man turned to face him again.

Severus squirmed a little before straightening his robe. Harry felt his stomach twist with anxiety over what horrible ingredient was running through his body.

"Vespa has her own … shall we say… _signature_, to her poisons. She has put her own _blood_ into the poison making it impossible for me to duplicate the antidote. The antidote I gave you was made with my blood which has a slight trace of her DNA in it but not enough to counteract her poison."

Harry felt tainted, he felt like taking a hot shower and getting any vestige of Vespa out of him. The thought of her blood running through his veins repulsed him.

"That's disgusting! I hate that bitch!" Harry quickly stood up and started pacing as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Severus that's vile! She's ruining my whole life! I don't care about the fucking poison anymore; I'm playing Quidditch on Saturday! I don't care what happens to me after that!" Harry grabbed his book bag and headed for the door.

"Potter, you are not excused!" Severus used a rather harsh voice making the Headmaster look up with alarm. Severus could not allow that sort of language and direct disobedience. What sort of father would he be to let his son get away with that?

Harry froze at those words. Those were the exact same words Vernon had used usually followed by a slap. He turned towards the professor and stepped back when the professor lunged at him grabbing his arm in a vice like grip.

"That sort of language is beneath you Mr. Potter. Furthermore you must accept my decision on Quidditch," Severus said in a dangerously severe tone, while holding the boy's arm.

Harry apologized to the Headmaster but defiantly ripped his arm out of the professor's grip and stalked out of the office.

Severus watched him stalk away but didn't try to stop him again. He felt bad for what the boy must be feeling right now. He just didn't know how to proceed with Harry's anger over being banned from playing Quidditch this weekend. He dropped his face into his hand and shook his head over the whole situation.

"Albus, what do I do now? How am I to make Harry understand that it is for his own good?"

"Severus, you must do what is best for the boy regardless of how he feels. That is the hardest part about being a parent. There will be times when he does not agree with your decisions but he will soon realize it is for his own good."

"Albus I certainly hope you are right," But Severus knew he would have a fight on his hands over this decision.

XXXXXXX

Harry got through the rest of the day with great effort. He had wanted to grab his broom and head out to the Quidditch pitch but knew Snape would hear about it. He decided to skip supper in the Great Hall. His stomach wasn't feeling too good anyways. He didn't care if Severus got mad at him for skipping a meal. As he paced in the Gryffindor common room he thought about the way Severus had treated him like such a child earlier.

Severus hadn't even discussed missing out on the Quidditch game with him but had taken the liberty to just inform him that he would not be playing. The nerve of the man! He hadn't even been his father for twenty four hours and already he was punishing him by taking away the thing he loved most. He should have been able to make that decision for himself!

Harry sat by the fire feeling sorry for himself. The portrait hole opened and Severus stalked in looking like he was ready to kill somebody. Harry had a pretty good idea who that was. He stood up and faced the angry professor.

"Mr. Potter, why are you up here? You should be down in the Great Hall eating supper. Harry, I am trying very hard to be patient with you but you are making it exceedingly difficult. When I told you to eat three full meals a day I meant it for your own good. That antidote will not last as long if you do not eat with it." Severus looked as if he was calming down a bit but his eyes were still piercing into Harry.

"I'll eat when I want Severus. Stop treating me like a child and stop telling me what to do all the time." Harry remembered the last time he had spoken those words to Severus at Snape manor. Back then Snape had been under the curse and had physically attacked him. So Harry stood with trepidation as he waited for the professor's reaction.

"Mr. Potter I will not tolerate your insolence again. Now get down to the Great Hall this instant," Severus hoped the boy would obey, because he wasn't sure what he should do if Harry didn't.

"Why couldn't you have just talked with me about missing out on Quidditch? You know, as if I actually have a brain and could think for myself!" Harry pushed pass the professor and headed down to the Great Hall.

They didn't say anything to each other all the way down the many stairs. Just as they reached the doors to the Great Hall Severus reached out and took hold of Harry's arm.

"Harry, I am trying."

Harry didn't know what to say to that, he still felt like he was being ordered about.

"Just leave me alone," Harry pulled his arm away and stalked into the Great Hall to find his friends. He watched Severus take a seat next to Dumbledore and begun to feel a little guilty over his reaction. After all Severus was just looking out for his best interest. Wasn't that what he had been craving his whole life, someone to care?

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The evening didn't get any better for Harry. After supper he had been sitting in front of the fire doing his homework with Hermione and Ron when Ginny walked in with Dean. They were laughing as they fell into a chair together. Harry couldn't take the sight of seeing the two together anymore and gathered his stuff to head up to bed.

Just as he stood up he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Ginny with a tense look on her face.

"Harry could I have a word with you?"

Harry followed her out the portrait hole as they were being observed by everyone in the common room. When the portrait closed Ginny rounded on him with a look of irritation.

"I thought you said you were busy with Professor Snape tomorrow night! You didn't have to lie to me Harry. If you didn't want to go to the dance with me you should have just said so!" Ginny looked hurt and angry.

Harry was taken aback. He hadn't even been aware that Ginny had wanted to go to the dance with him.

"Um well, I thought I was busy but then found out I wasn't. But … what do you mean about me not wanting to go to the dance with you? You never said anything." Harry really had no idea what she was so angry about nor any idea she would even consider going with him.

"Oh Harry, don't you even remember our conversation right before you flew on that hover board? Bloody hell Harry, I thought we were better friends then that! But I don't care anymore anyways. You have fun with your Beauxbaton rich girl with the diamond tiara!" Ginny turned to go back into the common room.

"Wait! Ginny, please don't walk away," Harry pleaded as the portrait opened and everyone inside stared at him.

Ginny felt like she just might start crying and had to get up to her room before she humiliated herself further.

Harry was left standing in the common room with every eye on him. Ron had a look of confusion that turned to anger when Ginny broke out into a sob on the way up the staircase to her dorm.

Harry was thoroughly confused. He had no idea Ginny had wanted to ask him to the dance that day. He felt like such an idiot for not catching onto that. Damn it, he had no one to talk to about this either. Ron looked as if he wanted to rip his head off and he had totally blown it with Snape earlier. Bloody hell, he felt awful!

He grabbed his book bag and headed up to his room. Thankfully no one was in there. He sat on his bed and went over the entire conversation he had with Ginny on the day he flew on the hover board. He honestly didn't know she was even interested in going to the dance with him. He felt so stupid for blowing it with her.

He lay back against the pillows thinking about the dance tomorrow. The thought of going with Charlet made his stomach feel even worse. He hated the fact that he was going to have to make the date look real. How else could he end the date with a large diamond if he didn't treat her as if he liked her? She was so vain that she would just think he was head over heels in love with her. He closed his eyes, trying to think of something else.

Before he knew it he had drifted off into a very fitful sleep with terrible dreams with Vernon and Vespa in them. Just as he was in the middle of his dream Voldemort broke through with fury.

Harry suddenly felt a sharp pain in his scar, he was watching Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. Voldemort was attacking one of his own Death Eaters with various curses as sparks and fire was set off. Harry could feel Voldemort's anger emanating from his scar. It hurt worse than any pain he had ever felt. His head felt like it was going to explode. Finally he couldn't hold back any longer, a scream escaped from his mouth. It brought Harry out of the vision and woke him up with a start. His scar continued burning with such intense pain that Harry screamed loud enough to bring up Ron, Neville, Hermione and Seamus.

They rushed into the room with their wands out, thinking that Harry must have been attacked. But when they saw him huddled on his bed holding his head, they knew exactly what was causing the pain.

"Quick, go get professor Snape!" Ron yelled at Hermione.

Ron panicked at the sight of a trickle of blood coming from the scar.

Hermione ran out the door and headed down to the dungeons. Her heart was racing at seeing Harry in so much pain. She passed by the door to the Potion Masters quarters three times before realizing where it was. She started panicking at the thought of the professor not being there to help. She knocked on the half hidden door and waited two seconds before knocking again, this time with more gusto. The door flew open and a very scary potions instructor stood before her with a glare.

"Um Professor please come quickly! It's Harry!"

The professor quickly lost the glare as it was replaced with a look of fear. He grabbed his black bag and ran. If anything happened to Harry he would never forgive himself. Was it the poison taking over already? Snape slowed down enough to ask the Gryffindor a question.

"What has happened?"

"I don't know. We were all down in the common room and Harry was in his room by himself when he just started screaming. When we got there he was holding his scar and it was bleeding!" She explained as she ran along side the professor.

Once they were in the Gryffindor common room they made their way up to the boy's dorm. When Snape strode in, the Gryffindor students stepped aside to make a path to Harry.

Snape's heart dropped when he saw his son rolled up, holding his head, obviously trying to hold back screams. Snape rushed to him and took hold of the boy's shoulders to see his face. Harry's hands were now covered in blood, his scar an angry slash. Oh Merlin, what was Voldemort doing to him!

"Be strong son, Occlude," Snape grabbed a numbing potion out of his bag and quickly poured it on the scar. Harry arched his back and screamed in agony, clawing at the scar. Snape grabbed Harry's hands before he could do any more damage to himself, and then held him in a tight hug. Harry fought against him, screaming and trying to push away. Snape held tighter, not even feeling his son's fists pounding his back.

At first the Gryffindor watching were terrified for their friend, not knowing if Snape was helping or actually causing more damage. Then they heard him whispering something to Harry and saw their friend begin to relax.

"Calm down son, breathe slowly," Snape repeated over and over again in a calm voice.

The sight of their most hated professor being so protective of their friend made them all alter their opinion of the man.

After a minute or two Harry finally settled down, breathing hard as he collapsed against the potion professor. The burning sensation was ebbing away and he could finally see again. He saw the looks of terror on the students watching. He felt Severus loosen his hold and Harry pushed back wearily but still held onto Snape's robes.

"Breathe Harry," came the stern but caring voice. "May I look?" Snape asked as he lifted the boy's chin and pushed back the hair off his son's forehead.

Harry heard several gasps and quickly brought his hand up to his forehead. He could feel the scar split wide open but the pain was more bearable. He was exceedingly grateful for Snape's numbing potion.

Severus pulled Harry's hand away from the wound, "You will recover. I'll take care of you now."

"What the bloody hell happened? Voldemort's never attacked me like that before. I-I think he's close Severus."

Snape got a chill at hearing those words, "Explain?"

It suddenly came back to Harry in a rush, "He's close Severus! He's in the Forbidden Forest with two or maybe three Death Eaters. He was really angry at one of them and cast all sorts of unforgivables on him. I think he started a fire," Harry sat up straighter, wiping the blood off his face with his shirt sleeve.

"Harry you will recover in my quarters while I speak with the Headmaster. Dobby!" Severus called out.

Dobby popped into the Gryffindor room with a look of fright at the sight of Harry's bloody forehead. "Master Harry Potter!"

Severus cut him off before he could say anything else, "Take Harry down to my quarters and stay with him."

Dobby held onto Harry's arm and they disappeared with a 'pop'.

"Whoa, I thought you couldn't apparate in the castle?" Ron asked.

"The Headmaster decided to make an exception for Mr. Potter," Snape said as he gathered a few items to bring down to Harry.

Ron stepped forward and handed the Professor Harry's wand that had fallen to the ground, "Professor, you're a really good dad. Harry's lucky to have you."

Severus was touched, "Thank you Mr. Weasley." That meant a lot coming from his son's best friend.

XXXXXXXXXX

Severus quickly alerted Dumbledore and a team was sent out to search the Forbidden Forest. Severus asked the Headmaster to let him know what was found as soon as possible. He normally would have been part of the search team but opted to stay with his son instead. He was beginning to know what parenting was all about.

As he rushed into the living room he found Dobby nervously wringing his hands.

"Where is Mr. Potter?"

Dobby didn't say anything but pointed to Harry's closed bedroom door.

Severus tried the door but it was locked. He took his wand out and said, "Alohamora." The lock clicked open, Severus threw the door open to find his son lying on his stomach on the bed. His forehead was dripping fresh blood onto the Gryffindor bedcovers and down to the floor.

Severus grabbed Harry and turned him over inspecting the scar. Harry's eyelids fluttered open and he began to moan in pain. "He's back Severus, he's mad at someone."

"Harry listen to me! You must occlude your mind. You must push him out, **immediately**!" Severus said with force as he shook Harry by the shoulders.

"I'm trying professor, I swear I'm trying!" Harry screamed back. There was no escaping the pain of Voldemort inside your head.

Severus pulled his wand out, pointing it at Harry's head, "Legilimens!"

Severus wanted to scream, he could feel the pain Harry was suffering making him feel sick to his stomach. He focused on guiding Harry through the nightmare he was living. It took everything he had to begin to guide the tormented boy into shutting out Voldemort. He helped Harry erect a wall of stone around his mind, thus keeping Voldemort locked out. It felt like a lifetime but was only minutes until Harry could breathe again without screaming. Severus had a new found respect for Harry's pain tolerance and gratefully pulled himself out of the boy's thoughts, breathing with great effort.

Harry continued to occlude his mind even after the professor left. He could feel Voldemort trying to push his way back in. Harry strengthened the wall, leaving his memories safely hidden behind the stone wall. He finally understood what it was he should have learned last year. A year too late. If only he could have done this when Sirius was still alive, if only he could have tried harder. _You're still not trying hard enough you worthless freak! _Harry pushed Vernon's cruel words from his mind and focused on the man who was taking care of him.

Harry felt the professor wipe away the blood off the scar with a cold wash cloth and also wipe the blood and tears from his face. Harry didn't protest or try to stop him. He closed his eyes and let the professor take care of him as promised.

Severus looked down at his son and felt his heart tighten at the trust the boy now had in him. He watched Harry relax and close his eyes letting his guard down for the first time. He wished he could have helped Harry like that last year instead of ridiculing the boy during his Occlumency lessons. It was hard to think about the way he had treated Harry in the past. He waved his wand again and the blood on the bed covers and floor disappeared. Severus looked towards Harry and was surprised to see his son looking back at him with clarity.

"Did he leave Harry? Were you able to block him?" Severus watched as the boy looked on the verge of breaking down.

Harry nodded, and the thought of Sirius was suddenly fresh in his memory. He was afraid if he spoke he would start to cry with the sorrow over losing Sirius.

Severus sensed Harry's deep pain and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Harry felt as if he would be betraying Sirius if he was comforted by Severus. Hadn't they always hated each other? Hadn't Severus been part of the reason Sirius felt the need to come to the ministry in the first place?

Severus watched Harry and waited for the boy to open up to him. He already knew what Harry was struggling with as he had just been in the boy's mind and could see the images of Sirius. The damned mutt would always be a regret the boy felt.

"Severus why couldn't I do this last year? I hate myself for not trying hard enough!" He felt exhaustion take over and lay back against his pillows. Occlumency took so much out of him, making him shaky and cold.

"Harry, I was a poor teacher to you last year so I am just as much to blame."

Harry kind of agreed with that but didn't think anything less of the professor now. "Professor please don't be mad but…" Harry stopped talking and looked up at the professor. He wanted to tell him how afraid he felt but thought maybe the professor would think less of him.

"Harry, I'm your father now. Nothing you say will change that … nothing."

"I'm scared professor. I know I'm not very strong right now with all this poison in me. What if Voldemort comes back again tonight?"

"Then we will face it together. I will be right beside you if you need help. Harry I would never get angry over you feeling frightened. Anybody would be frightened in your circumstance."

They heard a knock on the door and Severus gave Harry a pat on the shoulder before he went into the front room to answer it. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Tonks walked in with serious expressions. They gave him the run down of what they found in the Forbidden Forest.

Everything Harry had witnessed had indeed been happening on the edge of the forest. They found signs of blood along with bits of skin and hair. The fire had taken all six Aurors to put out. Tonks had just sat down on the sofa to have a spot of tea when Harry walked in looking worse for wear with blood still on his white school shirt and his scar a raw open wound.

"Harry, you probably saved half the creatures living in the forest tonight. Thanks for the tip!" Tonks tried to lighten the dark mood in the room.

"Hi Tonks, good to see you. So you guys put the fire out then?" Harry felt shaky and made his way over to the sofa with the help of Severus.

Tonks nodded her head still examining Harry closely. "Harry you don't look so good. I think the professor needs to feed you a little more." Tonks missed the glare that came from Severus but caught the look of guilt on Harry's face. She wondered what was going on to make him look that way.

"I supply my son with food, I have no control over whether he actually decides to eat it," Severus raised an eyebrow at Harry then placed a cup of steaming tea in front of him. He opened up a vial and added a nutrient potion to the tea. "Drink," was all he said to his wary son.

Harry gave him a small smile and picked up the cup of tea. His head was throbbing and he felt so weak, almost lethargic. He wanted to go to sleep but was too frightened of Voldemort attacking him to even consider it. So he sat sipping the tea whilst listening to the Order members.

They talked about how they would strengthen the wards at Hogwarts. Dumbledore decided to call an emergency meeting with all the Order members in his office right away.

Severus sat down next to Harry, assessing his son carefully. Harry leaned back into the pillows and looked the other way. Severus turned towards the Headmaster and said, "Albus, I think I will stay down here with Harry. The boy has been through quite an ordeal tonight."

Harry sat up to protest but the professor pushed him back onto the pillows leaving his hand on Harry's chest. "I am the parent. You are the child. You will do as I say."

Harry really didn't want to argue because he didn't want to be left alone. The thought of Voldemort on school grounds, when he felt so weak did alarm him.

McGonagal and Tonks raised their eyebrows at each other. Snape acting so paternal was a rather rare sight to witness. It warmed Minerva's heart to see it though.

After the Order members flooed up to Dumbledore's office, Harry laid down on the sofa.

Severus skillfully rubbed more cream into the bloody scar, hardly even hurting the open wound. He then pulled his wand out and Harry found himself wearing pajamas with a warm quilt on top of him.

"Okay, Mr. Potter it is time for you to get some much needed rest," Severus said as he rubbed small circles along Harry's temple with his fingers.

Harry felt more relaxed and safer then he had ever felt in his whole life. "Hmm okay," Harry closed his eyes and let himself feel cared for. Half asleep he whispered, "But, wake me up if something happens, Dad." Harry drifted off to sleep in a matter of seconds.

Severus wasn't sure if he had heard Harry right. Did the boy just call him Dad? Severus realized his heart was racing for some odd reason. He thought about last evening when Weasley had suggested Harry call him Dad or Father. He had thought it sounded rather nice, but Harry seemed to be very uncomfortable with the name change.

Severus continued running his fingers through his son's hair and thought about the way he had always wanted a son of his own. A son he could shower with everything he had always been denied as a child. This special boy was giving him that opportunity. He knew he would not take this child for granted or deny him the affection that had been withheld from his own childhood. Severus felt himself choke up at the thought of his son calling him Dad. He had never been allowed to call his father that but had always yearned for a relationship with his father that would have allowed it. Severus pushed his head back onto the sofa and let himself drift off to a very contented sleep, hoping that he had indeed heard his son correctly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Early the next morning Harry woke up to find himself lying on the sofa with the professor asleep in the dark leather chair. The thought of having a parent watch over him while he slept gave him a feeling of security he had never felt before.

Today was the big day, the day that would determine whether or not the plan would actually begin. He didn't care what his friends thought of him dating Charlet. Now he was more determined than ever to make this date tonight look real. His father's life depended on it. Harry pushed thoughts of Ginny from his mind. He closed his eye's not wanting to get up and end this feeling of warmth and security.

"How do you feel?" Severus asked in a quiet voice.

Harry kept his eye's closed but said, "I don't know, I guess I just couldn't take it if anything happened to you."

Severus stretched and sat up straighter, "That is exactly how I feel towards you. I think I have put you through enough with my blasted family. I do not suppose you ever imagined being adopted by me would cause so much agony?'

"It's okay, I mean it isn't your fault. You can't help it if you have a family filled with idiots."

The professor chuckled, " I know I should reprimand you but how can I when I know it is indeed the truth. Harry, I wish I could take your place."

"No way! Then I'd miss out on my big date with Charlet tonight!" Harry joked as he tried to lighten the mood a bit. "I'm sure she's going to looove my friends! A guy with no money, a Muggle born, and poor Neville."

"Ah yes, Charlet will be quite relentless with her opinions, I am sure. Just let them go in one ear and out the other. That is an old Muggle saying that I say to myself when I am dealing with students." Severus stood up and looked down at his son. "I have a special project that I am working on today so I will not see in class."

Harry sat up running his fingers though his unruly hair, "What are you working on?"

"Never you mind, but if it turns out the way I hope then I know it will make you very happy."

Now Harry really wanted to know what the professor was up to. He followed him down the hall begging for more information. Severus silenced him as he went into his bedroom and shut the door. Harry went into his own room to get ready for big day ahead of him.

XXXXXX

Coming up Chapter30 - The Dance


	30. Chapter 30 The Dance

Chapter 30 - The Dance

Harry dressed in a fresh school uniform after showering then went down to the laboratory to say good bye to the professor. He found the professor presiding over six different cauldrons. Stirring one cauldron, then the next with an intense look on his face.

"Um, I'm leaving now Professor," Harry watched the professor frown when he looked up at him.

Severus motioned for Harry to come over to him and stirred the last cauldron before wiping his hands on his apron. The professor tilted Harry's chin up and looked at the angry scar. It looked far better then last night but still quite red and swollen. He opened the jar of healing cream and gently applied it to the scar.

"Harry I trust that you will eat three full meals today? And I do not mean just a roll with butter," Severus said knowing that had been the extent of his son's lunch yesterday.

"Yes Sir," Harry watched as his father frowned at him again. _What was he mad at?_

Severus knew it shouldn't bother him so much but he wanted to hear Harry call him Dad again.

"I also require you to come see me if you begin to feel ill again. I was quite lenient with you yesterday but I will not be so nice today if you do not inform me of any signs of pain. I am quite serious about that."

Harry had actually thought Severus was pretty strict with him yesterday so he wondered what his father meant by 'nice'?

"Yes Sir. I'll come see you if I feel sick. Good luck with your secret potions," Harry said with a smile as he made his way up the stone staircase.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry struggled to eat a full breakfast as promised, only making it through one piece of toast before giving up and pushing his plate away. Hermione gave him a concerned look and stopped him before he left the table.

"Harry are you ill? You haven't eaten anything the past few days."

Harry rolled his eyes at her. He didn't know she had been monitoring his food intake like the professor had.

"Hermione I'm fine. Please don't say anything like that in front of Severus. He's been on my case about eating all week."

"Well, I will say something to him if you don't finish your breakfast. And if you're feeling ill you should go tell him," Hermione threatened.

Ron looked at her with irritation, "Bloody hell Hermione! Harry already has one parent at the school; he doesn't need another one telling him what to do."

"Thanks Ron," Harry said as he left the table. "I'll see you guys after Potions. I'm going upstairs to rest a little. And if you run into Severus, don't say anything to him about it." Harry gave Hermione a pointed look.

Harry knew his father wouldn't be in Potions so he wasn't concerned about missing it. He made his way up to the Tower and flopped onto his bed. His stomach was really bothering him, it felt like he might vomit. He tried to lay as still as possible to stop the queasy feeling. Without planning to he fell fast asleep.

He didn't wake up until lunchtime. When he opened his eyes he noticed the clock on the far wall read noon. He quickly jumped out of bed and raced down to the Great Hall. If Severus found out he missed classes and another meal he didn't know what sort of punishment he would get. Just as he approached the Great Hall his heart dropped when he saw his father standing by the door with an irritated look on his face. Hermione and Ron were talking with him and Hermione looked a little upset.

"Mr. Potter. May I ask where you have been all morning?" Severus was trying really hard to maintain his decorum in front of Harry's friends and classmates.

"Um, I just … I was just …" Harry trailed off knowing full well that his father knew he was not in class.

"Your verbal skills amaze me Potter," Snape said with sarcasm. "I know you would not have forgotten about our conversation from this morning. I do believe you knew there would be consequences?"

Harry noticed how the professor did not say anything specific regarding the poison or his illness. "Um yes Sir, I remember." Harry was feeling really uneasy about this and it showed.

"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Grainger, please proceed into the dining room. Mr. Potter will join you shortly."

Hermione and Ron gave Harry looks of concern as they walked through the large doors. They knew Snape to be very strict and did not want their friend to get into any trouble.

The professor walked into an alcove knowing his son would follow, "I am more disappointed in the fact that you did not trust me enough to let me know you were not feeling well. I had thought you would trust me at this point. I already know you did not eat a full breakfast."

"How? How do you know? Do you have spy's telling you every bad thing I do!"

"Don't you use that tone of voice with me Potter! I am the one who was lied to by my son," Severus couldn't believe that Harry was trying to turn this around. He grabbed Harry's arm and swung him into the bench. Harry was forced into sitting.

"I told you to come to me if you were not feeling well. You said you would. Now I come to find out you ate a single slice of bread and then went to your room for a nap! I can hardly think those are the actions of a robust sixteen year old!" Severus was seething and began to pace in the small alcove. Harry started to stand but Severus pushed him back down with force. "This conversation is not over!" Snape said in clipped tones.

Harry felt anger rise over the force Snape was using. He began tostand again but was pushed back with so much force that his head slammed against the window with a loud thwack. He froze with fear quickly taking over. His face must have shown his fear because the professor sat down next to him with a look of regret and tried to pull him into an embrace. Harry was having none of that and pushed the professor away. He quickly rushed out of the small alcove before the professor could stop him.

He dared not skip another meal and headed into the Great Hall. He tried to calm himself before joining Ron and Hermione. He must not have done a very good job because both his friends looked at him with distress.

Before they could ask any questions he raised his hand and said, "Don't ask, I'm fine."

"I didn't say anything Harry, I swear," Hermione quickly said.

"Don't worry about it. Severus is just taking this parenting thing pretty seriously," Harry watched his father walk into the Great Hall and felt a pat on his shoulder as the professor passed his table. Harry shook his head and looked away from his smiling friends.

His friends quickly changed the subject and began talking about the dance. Another subject he didn't want to talk about but he ended up just listening. He looked at the bowls of hot food before him and served himself a minimal amount of pumpkin pasta and salad. He skipped the rolls and instead added a half glass of milk.

Lunch seemed to take forever to get through with all the talk about the dance. Harry glanced up to the head table knowing that his father was watching the food on his plate. He tried to eat more than a few bites but just couldn't manage. Finally he pushed his plate away from him knowing he couldn't eat anything else. The plate floated back towards him on its own as the Gryffindor around watched in surprise. Harry pushed the plate away again but the plate moved back towards him. This time it looked as if more food had been magically added to it too.

"Harry what's goin on?" Ron asked with alarm.

Hermione must have figured out it was Professor Snape because she said, "Harry for heavens sakes, just eat it!"

Harry begrudgingly picked up his fork after giving his father an infuriated look. He practically forced every bite down feeling as if he might vomit with every fork full. When he finished eating the pasta, the half cup of milk edged closer to him. He was already embarrassed enough over the whole incident and decided to just drink it. When he finally finished the milk he stood up and gave Severus another glare before storming out of the Great Hall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

During his last class a house elf came in with a note from Severus. He was being summoned down to the dungeon by his father. He crumpled up the note and threw it in the waste can a few seats away. The last person he wanted to see was Severus. Ten minutes later another house elf came in with a note but went to Professor McGonagall with it instead.

"Mr. Potter, your father wishes to see you in the dungeon," Minerva watched the boy roll his eyes and remain seated. "Mr. Potter you are being summoned by your father!" Minerva did not appreciate the disrespectful way Harry was treating his father.

Harry begrudgingly stood up and gathered his books.

"It would do you well to remember that Severus is new to parenting. I advise you to not make it more difficult for him. I do not approve of ignoring a request to see one's father when summoned," McGonagall looked down right indignant at Harry's behavior.

"Sorry Professor. I'll keep that in mind," Harry said in front of the whole class. He was glad to get away from the stares and whispers. It wasn't anyone else's business as far as he was concerned, including his teachers. At least now he knew who Severus had spying for him.

When Harry went into Snape's quarters he walked directly down to the lab. He stood nervously on the bottom step watching Severus tend to his potions and waiting to be reprimanded.

After Severus added more powder to a potion he looked up into his son's eyes. "I did not think you were coming," He stated matter of factly.

"Well, I didn't want to but McGonagall insisted," Harry answered honestly.

"Professor McGonagall." Severus corrected and walked towards Harry stopping a few feet away. He looked up at his son as the boy fidgeted with his cloak and remained standing on the step.

"I owe you an apology." Severus continued when his son looked into his eyes, "I feel I over reacted this afternoon. It was poor judgment on my part to lay hands on you when I was angry. I feel regretful to say the least," Severus watched as Harry's face took on a look of surprise.

"Oh," Harry cleared his throat, "It wasn't a big deal. I mean that was nothing compared to the punishments I got from my uncle."

Severus looked up at him sharply before his face softened and he said, "Harry, throwing you back on that bench was not intentionally done as a punishment. I just let my anger get the best of me. I should never have touched you when I was angry, it was wrong."

"Yeah but I'm just saying that it wasn't such a big deal. I've had worse happen," Harry couldn't understand why the professor was so apologetic. He didn't even have any bruises or cuts from it.

"But that is not the point Harry. I should never have touched you in anger. Just because I didn't leave a mark on you doesn't make it alright. Your uncle has really done more damage then I've thought," Severus said the last part in a near whisper.

It really hurt Harry's feelings to hear the professor say that last part about his uncle damaging him, even if it was true. It made him feel flawed as if he was ruined in some obvious way.

"Sorry," Harry whispered. "May I be excused now?"

Severus looked up at him with confusion, "Why are _you_ apologizing?"

"I don't know, you just said my uncle ruined me and I'm sorry I'm not good enough. May I go now Sir?" Harry hated this conversation and desperately wanted to end it.

Severus stepped forward and gathered Harry into his arms. He could feel the boy stiffen the moment he was touched but Severus didn't care. Severus didn't exactly feel comfortable hugging Harry either but knew it was just a matter of time before it came naturally to both of them. Hugging his son when the boy was sick came easily. But now when Harry was healthy it was slightly forced. He had spent many nights reading books on parenting teens and they all suggested positive physical contact. He continued holding his son, feeling Harry relax a little.

"You are not ruined. Merlin boy, what are you thinking in that brain of yours? I honestly do not believe I could be any prouder of a son than I am of you. You might disobey me at times but that does not change my admiration for you in the least," Severus felt Harry's arms wrap around him.

"I thought you called me down here to punish me," Harry's voice was muffled by the professor's robe.

"No, as a matter of fact I called you down here to give good news. That surprise potion I was working on is finished. I have extended the antidote a few more days. That would be enough time for you to play in the game on Saturday. In addition I hope some of that nausea will be relieved, which is the reason I did not want to wait for your classes to end today," Severus pushed Harry back to see his reaction.

Harry raised his eyebrows and a big grin spread across his face. "You mean it! I can play?"

"I believe so. That is the reason I was so insistent that you eat a full lunch this afternoon. The more you eat the less aggravation it will be on your stomach. It was also the reason I wished to be informed if you were not feeling well. I changed the formula slightly to accommodate your nausea. Do you feel ready to give it a try?" Severus let go of his son and walked over to the work bench to get the vial of potion.

Harry jumped down off the last step following after the professor. He downed the antidote in one go, not even caring that it tasted like earwax.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry had a light supper with his father then went up to Gryffindor Tower to get ready for the big dance. When he stepped through the portrait hole he was surprised to see the common room empty. He went upstairs and saw his friends rushing with an air of excitement in the room. Harry walked over to his bed and saw new dark blue formal dress robes hanging magically in the air. He touched the fine velvet cape and saw the lining of darkest blue silk. Ron walked over and stood next to him staring up at the formal wear.

"Harry, I'd be afraid to wear anything that nice. Did you see what the twins sent me?" Ron walked over to his bed and Harry saw the brand new dress robes in a dark gray. Harry remembered back to when he gave the twins his winnings from the Triwizard Tournament and made them promise to buy Ron new dress robes. He was glad to see them make good on their promise.

"Wow Ron those are brilliant!" They were a far cry better than the ancient dress robes from two years ago.

Seamus and Dean had just finished their showers and came out to get dressed. Harry went in to shower, thankful to have a little time alone to think about Charlet. He knew he would have to force himself to be nice to her. Something about her just rubbed him the wrong way and he had found it easy to see through the sweet demeanor she often used. Making it through the entire night with someone as phony as Charlet was going to be hard, especially compared to someone like Ginny. Harry would give anything to have had another chance at going with her. Just thinking about Dean making that bet made Harry want to get out of the shower and punch him in the face.

He went back into the dorm room and took his time getting dressed. His friends were all standing at the mirror fumbling with their bow ties and talking about Charlet.

"Harry is she related to Snape then?" Ron asked as he tried to imagine what a female version of Snape would look like, yuck!

"No Ron! I already told you guys, she was adopted by Severus' aunt. She isn't even a blood relative of the Snapes." Harry was getting tired of all the questions he had been getting about Charlet.

"Well no offence to your new dad but I'm glad to hear that," Seamus said and the whole group including Harry laughed.

"How the bloody hell does this thing work?" Ron asked in frustration as he tried once again to tie the bow tie.

"I dunno. When we went to the Yule Ball Dobby came up and tied them for us. Where is that elf?" Seamus asked as he untied then retied again.

"Severus said all the house elves were on duty tonight in the kitchens. Isn't there some sort of spell or something you can use to tie it?" Harry asked as he walked over to the mirror with his own tie. The mirror expanded with each new person using it until all five boys stood before it, fumbling with their ties.

"Naw, my Mum said you have to tie these by hand," Seamus said.

"I hate these bloody things! " Ron ripped his tie off his neck and threw it towards the door.

Severus caught the tie midair and raised an eyebrow at the five boy's standing before him with their mouth's open.

"Oops! Sorry Professor," Ron said quickly as he took the tie back from the professor.

"Problem gentlemen?" Severus walked towards the group.

"These things don't come with any directions and they just don't look right when we tie them," Harry said as he tried once again to tie the bow tie.

"May I offer my assistance?" Severus walked behind Harry and they both faced the mirror. He placed his hands on Harry's shoulders, "I will tie Mr. Potter's tie and you four try to duplicate." Then he gave step by step instructions. His hands worked Harry's tie easily and the rest of the Gryffindor followed along with their own ties.

Harry stood with his hands at his sides watching Severus with pride. Harry never thought he would have a father to teach him simple things like this. When they finished Severus inspected all five boy's ties adjusting them all a little. When he came to Neville the poor boy looked as if he might faint.

"Calm down Mr. Longbottom, you have done an adequate job with this task," Neville seemed a little shocked to have been given a near compliment by the potion instructor. He stayed perfectly still as his teacher adjusted his tie.

Severus stood back and inspected the group. He nodded his approval but readjusted Harry's cloak for him.

"I actually came up here to escort Mr. Finnegan down to the portkey point." He gave Harry a knowing look but since the teachers were not supposed to know about the stow away he did not include his son.

Seamus spoke up, "Professor is it alright if Harry comes with us?"

"Certainly," the professor said and gave Harry a half smile.

The Gryffindor thanked the professor for helping with their ties as they all headed down to the common room to meet up with their dates.

The girls had not made an appearance yet so Dean, Ron and Neville sat down and waited. Harry and Seamus followed the Professor out the portrait hole to lots of teasing and hollering from their friends.

The portkey arrival was happening in a matter of minutes in the courtyard and Harry began to feel a little tense. Having to spend the entire dance with Charlet was a daunting task.

Severus watched the boys pacing nervously and tried to offer a little reassurance by placing his arm over Harry's shoulder. Harry felt too anxious to stand still so he dragged his father along and continued pacing around the courtyard.

Harry watched several couples arriving into the Great Hall through the long windows adjoining the courtyard. He saw Dean walk in and high five Michael and some guy in Hufflepuff. Ginny walked in by herself looking around for her date. Harry couldn't believe Dean hadn't waited for her upstairs in the common room. He thought Ginny looked amazing though. Her hair had soft curls and was pinned up at the sides with small pearl combs shaped like butterflies. She was laughing with her head thrown back and Harry had a strong urge to kiss her neck. He shook his head and continued to pace, thinking he better not watch her too much or Charlet would realize he liked her.

Just when it seemed like the Great Hall was packed to capacity a loud 'pop' was heard in the courtyard. Harry and Seamus watched as Gabriele practically floated down to the ground. Harry remembered when he had portkeyed before and had landed with a sprawl. This breathtaking girl landed with grace and Harry thought his friend a very lucky guy.

Gabriele looked about in wonder then a big smile broke out when she spotted Seamus walking towards her. Just as Seamus embraced his date the invisibility cloak dropped to the ground and Charlet made her appearance.

Severus pushed Harry towards her when he noticed the boy had not moved to greet her. Harry had actually been frozen with nerves over seeing her again. Harry thought Charlet looked stunning, he only wished beauty wasn't her only good attribute.

Charlet looked about and walked towards Harry with an air of supreme royalty. Her raven black hair was curled and cascading down her back. The tiara she wore was obviously made from real diamonds as it sparkled like fire. Charlet's dress was a pale blue with hundreds of diamonds sewn on the bodice and along the hem. It was sleeveless with white mink fur along the edges. Her pink lips stood out on her pale skin making her look like a porcelain doll. She held her hand out to Harry as if she were the queen herself.

"Charlet, thank you for coming. You look amazing," Harry said as he leaned over her hand and kissed it.

Charlet smiled enchantingly, "Harry, thank you for the invitation. You look quite dashing yourself." She turned towards Severus and extended her hand once more.

"Charlet you look lovely," Severus said as he too kissed her hand.

Charlet grabbed hold of Harry's arm and they walked towards the Great Hall. Severus retrieved the invisibility cloak and watched with pride as his handsome son escorted his date into the Great Hall.

When the Gryffindor and their dates entered through the main doors into the Great Hall it seemed as if everyone who saw them stood gawking. Their entrance spread like wild fire with students pushing to get a better view. Harry felt like a Muggle circus attraction with his date as the main show.

Harry looked about the Great Hall with great appreciation for magic. The walls were covered with large swags of brilliant jewel tone silk from floor to ceiling. The round tables were each covered in different jewel tone colors of emerald green, gold, deep purple and brilliant blue. Each table had several large round glass fish bowls filled with brilliant colored magical fish to coordinate with the table. Bright magical butterflies lit up the table as they flitted around the colored fish bowls. There were candles sprinkled throughout the arrangement causing a brilliant show of reflective lights. The entire effect was quite mesmerizing.

Harry ignored the stares and continued scanning the room for his friends. He spotted them sitting at a table towards the center of the room. Seamus and Gabriele followed the striking couple through the maze of ogling students.

Charlet leaned into Harry and said in a haughty voice, "My my, by the attention we are getting you would think the students of Hogwarts have never seen a properly dressed lady before. But then again, by the looks of the girls at this school that is probably true. It is no wonder you had to look elsewhere for a proper date."

Harry tried to ignore her nasty comment but it became harder when she met his friends. He introduced her to his room mates and their dates, including Ginny with Dean. Hermione made room for them to sit next to her and welcomed Charlet to Hogwarts.

Harry was just about to sit when he noticed Seamus pulling the chair out for his date. Oops! He quickly moved behind Charlet's chair and pulled it out for her. Charlet gave him a look of disdain.

Ron came back with drinks for his date and Harry remembered he never offered to get Charlet a drink. "Charlet may I get you a drink?"

"Oh so you do have manners after all," Charlet said with a sneer. "Yes, I will have a glass of Champagne."

"I don't think we have that. But we have pumpkin juice or sparkling water," Harry offered.

"Huh that figures," Charlet said just loud enough for Hermione and Ron to hear. "Fine I'll just have water then."

As soon as Harry walked away she rolled her eyes and said in a matter of fact tone, "My Aunt thinks Severus should send him to etiquette school this summer. I hardly think it will do him much good though, since he was raised by Muggles."

Most of the people at the table just looked at her with shock but Ginny felt the need to speak up.

"Harry has perfectly fine manners." She was about to say more but just then Draco walked up to the table and stood beside Charlet.

"Charlet, a pleasure to see you again," Draco took Charlet's hand and kissed it, lingering a tad longer than necessary.

Charlet smiled charmingly at the Slytherin, "Draco, I was wondering if I would see you here."

"Yes, I heard you were coming to Hogwarts but could hardly believe it since I also heard you were coming with Potter," Draco said with derision.

Ron looked as if he were ready to jump to Harry's defense but Hermione put a hand on his arm to keep him from getting up. She did not want to see her date in a fight tonight.

Charlet laughed, "Oh Draco, you must be quite jealous of the hero of the wizarding world."

"I'm not jealous of Potter!" Draco said indignantly.

"Oh, I am saddened to hear you say that. After all, he was fortunate enough to have me as his date tonight," Charlet stuck out her bottom lip into a pout.

Draco quickly added, "Yes, perhaps I am jealous. If I had known you had the ability to come to a dance at Hogwarts I would have dumped Pansy in a second to bring you." Draco looked around the table, "Where is your sorry excuse for a date anyway?"

"Draco you are so naughty! Harry went for drinks. I must say the selection was rather limited," Charlet smiled sweetly.

"Well, it might be limited for the Gryffindors but we Slytherins would never be caught drinking pumpkin juice at a social function. May I?" Draco flicked his wand at the table before Charlet and a single glass of bubbly champagne appeared. "Do not worry about the teachers seeing you, the glass is spelled to look like pumpkin juice is in it and it will never run out of Champagne either."

"Thank you Draco, you are indeed a proper gentleman," Charlet crooned. Charlet ignored the snort from Hermione over that statement.

Harry walked up with the sparkling waters and pushed Draco out of the way with his elbow. Draco looked ready to fight but Pansy approached and wrapped her hand around Draco's arm.

"Draco, I was wondering where you went off to." Pansy looked at Charlet with contempt, "Don't you have your own date?"

"Shut it Pansy, Charlet is an old friend of the family," Draco hissed.

Draco leaned towards Harry, "Potter, you are sooo out of your league. When you figure out that Charlet is too good for you, let me know and I'll step in and take over." Draco turned his back and strode away with Pansy still on his arm.

"What was Malfoy doing over here?" Harry asked as he placed the drinks down.

Ron spoke up first, "Apparently he knows your date."

"We have met at various social functions but I haven't actually seen him in a year," Charlet said. "But he was kind enough to supply me with champagne, which is more than I can say for you."

Oh Merlin, Harry had no idea this was going to be so hard.

Ron pulled his wand out, "Malfoy might be a lousy git but he did have a good idea. Who would like to join me in a fire whiskey?" Ron tapped his glass and it filled with the hard liquor.

Several people at the table did the same including Harry. If had to hang out with Charlet all night he figured he better have a little help. He took a big gulp and his eye's watered but it helped him to relax a little more.

Professor Dumbledore called their attention to the podium. When the announcements were finished the tables filled with an amazing display of desserts. Every person had a chocolate replica of the Hogwarts Castle, complete with lights in the windows. Harry realized this must have been what kept Dobby and the rest of the elves so busy today. The rest of the sweets were spread throughout the table on pedestals made from ice that didn't melt.

A few girls from Hufflepuff that Harry had recognized from Severus detention earlier in the week, came up to talk with him. He introduced Charlet but the girls didn't pay her any attention. One of them offered Harry a chocolate, which he quickly turned down remembering the warning from Severus about love potions. As the girls became more interested in Harry it appeared as if Charlet became more interested in him too.

Finally after enough snide remarks from Charlet the girls walked away dejectedly.

The orchestra began and several people made their way to the dance floor. Charlet seemed pretty content to drink her champagne and insult the girls of Hogwarts. Harry tuned her out and watched Ginny as she waltzed around the dance floor with Dean.

Harry hadn't realized that he had been staring until Charlet poked him in the ribs and asked, "Who are you watching? Vespa is right, your manners are quite appalling."

Harry ignored that last comment, "I wasn't watching anyone, I was just wondering if you would like to dance?"

Charlet stood up and Harry escorted her out to the dance floor. He knew he wasn't a very good dancer but hoped Charlet had enough champagne to not notice. Several girls said hello to Harry on his way out to the dance floor causing Charlet to become jealous and hold tighter to his arm.

They stayed on the dance floor through three songs with Charlet talking about herself the entire time. If Harry heard one more story about her perfect grades he thought he would hurl.

As they were walking off the dance floor Hillary Smidgen accidentally bumped into them and stepped on Charlet's dress.

"Get off you big cow!" Charlet screeched, as she checked her dress for rips.

"Oh gosh I'm so sorry!" Hillary tried to dust off the hem of Charlet's dress.

"Charlet it was an accident. Chill out, your dress isn't even ruined," Harry said with irritation over the way Charlet was treating Hillary.

Just then Draco strolled up and looked at Hillary with disdain, "Watch where you're going hippo." Draco turned towards Charlet and offered his hand, "May I have this dance Miss Charlet?"

Charlet leaned into Harry and whispered, "You know it would not be very polite if I declined."

Harry could care less if Draco danced with her, "Go ahead Charlet, I'll wait for you at the table."

Feeling relief at getting rid of his date for a few minutes, Harry turned back around and faced Hillary. He saw she had tears in her eyes and was close to breaking down.

"Don't let them bother you Hillary. Could I walk you back to your date or get you a drink?"

"I didn't come with a date but I'll have a drink if you don't mind?" Hillary looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

They made their way through the crowd to the beverage table and Harry noticed how Hillary had latched onto his arm. He handed her a drink and they talked about a few classes they had together. Hillary excused herself to use the restroom and Harry was left standing alone.

Ron walked up behind him and whispered, "Watch it mate, I saw you with Hillary and I hear she has a crush on you."

Harry ignored that since he kinda figured that out on his own, "Hey Ron, how's your date so far?"

Ron didn't get a chance to answer because Hermione showed up and pulled him out to the dance floor much to his displeasure.

Harry was watching Ron dance worse than him when he was grabbed around the waist from behind. He turned quickly finding himself face to face with Ginny.

"Hi Harry! Are you having fun?" Ginny fanned herself with her hand and lifted the hair cascading down her back. "Whew, it's hot in here isn't it?"

Harry's breath caught and it took a moment to respond, "Um yeah, it's hot." Without thinking he blurted out, "You look beautiful Ginny. Um,…your dress is really nice."

Ginny laughed and spun around, holding the pale pink dress out, "My mom made it for me."

Harry raised his hand up to push a stray hair from her face, letting his fingertips slide down her soft cheek.

Suddenly he felt his arm being grabbed roughly and turned around to see an angry scowl on Charlet's face.

"Hello Harry," Charlet said suddenly sweet once again.

Before Harry could say a word Charlet pulled him towards her and kissed him. Not just a peck on the lips but a full on deep kiss that lasted way too long in Harry's opinion. When he finally pulled back and caught his breath he noticed a small audience watching, including Ginny.

"Charlet, let's go talk," Harry said and led her out the door by the hand to the small alcove he had been in earlier with Severus. "Um, can I ask what that was all about?"

"That was the girl you were watching earlier on the dance floor wasn't it?" Charlet accused.

"Charlet, I don't know what you are talking about. I wasn't watching her or anyone else," Harry lied hoping she would believe him because so much was riding on this date.

"You know Harry, I think it is time for me to leave. I don't appreciate my date gawking after some girl in a homemade dress and cheap shoes. If you wanted to go to the dance with her why didn't you just ask her!"

Harry began to panic at the thought of her leaving like this. How in the world could he give her a very expensive diamond necklace when she knew he didn't even like her? He had to do something quick before the whole plan was blown by his stupidity.

He grabbed hold of her waist and pulled her close, "Charlet, I don't like that girl, she's just my best friends little sister. How could I like someone like her compared to you? She doesn't even begin to compare."

Harry watched Charlet's face begin to soften. He leaned in close and gave her a kiss on the neck that made her giggle.

Charlet turned her face towards Harry and they kissed again. This time Harry kissed her back, forcing himself to forget about Ginny. He traced his fingertips all the way down her bare arms and held her hands firmly. "Now do you believe that you are the only girl I want to be with? " He said as he raised her hands to his lips and kissed them.

"I guess I feel a little better," Charlet said and ran her fingers through Harry's hair.

Harry had to make sure she really did believe him and pulled Charlet into a close embrace. He began kissing her neck again, lingering on the spot that made her giggle. He slid his hand down to her waist moving it to caress the small of her back. They stayed in the alcove kissing a few more minutes until Charlet decided she wanted to slow dance. She wrapped her arm around Harry and they walked inside the Great Hall.

When they passed by Ginny, Charlet made a point of stopping Harry to kiss him again. Harry hated every minute of that kiss but forced himself not to pull back. They walked onto the dance floor and embraced again, swaying to the music. Charlet ran her fingers through his hair again, sending a shiver down his back. She leaned her head on Harry's chest and he dropped his head down and spoke softly to her about her favorite subject; herself. He told her how much he loved her dress and hair and how proud he was to be here with the most beautiful girl in the room. Charlet giggled back lifting her face for anther kiss.

Harry was just about to kiss her when he saw Ginny out of the corner of his eye. He looked up and saw her weeping into Hermione's shoulder at the table. His heart dropped and he didn't know if he could keep this farce up any longer. Then he saw his father watching him from the corner of the room and knew that he didn't have any choice. If Charlet didn't believe that he really did like her then she would be suspicious of the necklace, especially when she found out that she couldn't remove it. He made his decision and leaned down and gave Charlet a long kiss. He didn't look up again and missed Ginny running out of the room.

After another dance and several more seemingly passionate kisses, they went back to join Harry's friends at the table. Hermione glared at him but Harry ignored her. When this whole thing was over he would be able to explain the kisses and fake passion. Until then he knew he had to make everyone believe he liked Charlet.

He had already asked Severus if he could just let Ginny know what was happening with the poison but Severus was adamant that he not say a word. Severus reminded him that Voldemort somehow knew that Ginny was a person that Harry cared for, due to those visions he was sending Harry. If Ginny was ever in Voldemort's hands Severus knew that she would not be able to keep the poison a secret. Severus was not about to let that sort of information about his son into Voldemort's hands. If Voldemort knew how vulnerable Harry was at this time he would attack for certain. In the end it had all made perfect sense to Harry but he still found it hard to live with.

Charlet continued drinking her champagne and asked if Harry wanted to share. Harry said he would rather have water and excused himself from the table. As he stood at the beverage table, Hermione walked over to join him.

"Harry, I'm trying really hard to see what it is you see in that girl, but I just don't know what you're thinking? I know she's related to Professor Snape and maybe your just trying to make him happy or something." Hermione said watching for Harry's reaction.

"Hermione that is not it at all. It's really none of your business anyway. Why don't you just let me have some fun for one night without overanalyzing everything?" Harry walked away wishing he could tell her the truth.

When he went back to the table he noticed Hermione had followed him and she took a seat next to Charlet.

Hermione thought she would give Harry's date another try. There must be something to make Harry so head over heels in love the girl to even kiss her like that in front of Ginny, let alone the entire school.

The girls at the table were talking about tiaras and shoes again. Hermione joined along and told Charlet how much she loved her dress.

"Yes, thank you Hermes. I am sure it cost my aunt a small fortune but as she always says 'Only the best for the best!'." Charlet didn't see the looks of shock over a statement like that and continued with, "I believe strongly in only wearing clothes from the finest grade material made by the house elves on our estates. As a matter of fact I had my aunt send over all the house elves to make my dress in two days. I actually had to lock them in my room without food or water so they would finish it in time!"

Okay, now Harry was truly mortified! He wished he could apparate the hell out of there at the look Hermione was giving him. He grabbed Charlet's arm and quickly said, "Let's dance!"

While they were slow dancing Harry looked up and saw his father watching him once again. Harry pointed to the side door and Severus nodded. When the song ended Harry said he needed to use the restroom and walked Charlet back to their table. Thankfully Hermione was no longer at the table. Charlet sat next to Seamus and Dean, flirting with them shamelessly.

Harry walked out the side door, meeting up with his father. Severus put an arm over his shoulder and guided him into an empty classroom.

"Severus, I don't know if I can continue with this. Did you see Ginny crying? I think I really hurt her feelings and that Charlet is so evil …" Harry ran his fingers through his hair then sat down on a desk.

"Calm down son, it will be fine. The evening is almost at a close. I am sure Ms. Weasley will understand once everything is explained to her." Severus hoped the girl would be understanding but wasn't so sure by the way she had stormed out.

"Yeah, well I wouldn't blame her if she didn't ever talk to me again. Charlet's been hanging all over me!"

"Yes, I have noticed. I only hope _your_ behavior is due to these extreme circumstances," Severus rebuked. Severus made a mental note to speak to his son about propriety at the first possible chance.

"What! You think I want to kiss her like that in front of the whole school!" Harry yelled and began pacing.

"Maybe not but I fear Professor McGonagall will take _me_ to task for allowing such untoward behavior from my son."

Harry rolled his eyes at his dad, "Well, it's not like I'm having fun!"

"Harry calm down and think about the task at hand," Severus pulled the box with the portkey necklace out of his pocket and handed it to Harry. "I suppose you should continue on acting the same. It seems Charlet is quite enamored with you, which will work to our advantage."

Harry stuck the flat box in his dress robe without looking at the necklace again. "I need a hot shower to get her smell off of me. I think she used an entire bottle of perfume."

"Yes, there is evidence of your impropriety on your shirt collar as well," Severus pointed his wand at Harry's collar and the lipstick disappeared. "I know this task is rather daunting but I fear it is really our best approach to our predicament."

"Yes sir, I know you're right but it doesn't make this any easier," Harry hung his head as he leaned up against the door.

Severus walked up to his son and placed his hand on the back of Harry's neck, "Things have a way of working themselves out son."

"I hope so. I guess I better get back before Charlet turns all my friends against me."

"How so?" Severus asked knowing that if she was even half as evil as Vespa was then she was worse than Harry was letting on.

"You'd be surprised over the stuff that comes out of her mouth," Harry said as he straightened his cloak. "I'm pretty sure Hermione won't be speaking to me either."

Just before Severus opened the door he said, "Do not forget to clasp the necklace around Charlet's neck."

"Yes sir." came a sad voice.

Severus turned around to face his son once again, "This will all be over before you know it."

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So what do you think? When you review, let me know where you are from. I think someone said they were from China. Its pretty cool to know people from all over the world are reading my little story. HeeHee


	31. Chapter 31 Task At Hand

Hi All - Wow, I can't believe there really are people from all over the world reading this!

**Hello **to: India, Australia, Argentina, France, Canada, England, Holland, Germany, Hungary, China, Russiaand Hello to my fellow Americans!

So, on with the show …

31 - Task At Hand

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When Harry walked back into the Great Hall he saw his date surrounded by Seamus, Dean, and Michael.

He walked up to the group and heard Charlet flirting brazenly. Harry actually could care less but with the night almost over he knew what had to be done. He pushed his way through the group and took Charlet by the hand.

"Would you like to go for a walk in the courtyard? Harry asked and pulled her hand up to his lips for another kiss.

She smiled sweetly at the boys around her and allowed Harry to lead her out to the courtyard. The guys gave him pats on the back and encouraging jeers. Harry noticed that their dates were not so happy with him, since the girls glared at both he and Charlet when they passed by.

The talk with Severus had helped to bring him back to the task on hand. He pushed all thoughts of Ginny and his own personal feelings aside. The entire plan hinged on giving Charlet this portkey necklace without making her suspicious. After hearing Severus admonish him for publicly kissing Charlet, Harry decided to take her out to the courtyard. It was embarrassing enough to kiss her in front of his friends but now that he knew he had been observed the entire evening by his father, his humiliation was at an all time high.

When they reached the courtyard Harry led Charlet into a gazebo way off in the corner. She went readily expecting to do things Harry didn't want to do with her. If this had been Ginny instead, Harry would have been the happiest person on earth. It had touched Harry greatly to know that Ginny had feelings for him. Knowing that she thought Harry liked someone else only made this harder to do.

Harry slid his hand around Charlet's waist and pulled her into a close embrace. She readily came to him, wrapping her arms under his cloak around his waist. The kiss lasted long with Charlet raking her fingernails along Harry's back. The sensation brought back horrible memories for Harry, making him pull back suddenly.

Charlet looked up at him with accusing eyes and an angry voice, "What in the world is wrong with you?"

"Erm, nothing, I mean I'm just ticklish."

"You didn't act as if I was tickling you. You acted as if I was hurting you by the way you pushed me away," Charlet accused with no sympathy. "You know there are plenty of guys in there that would kill to be in your position right now. Maybe I'll go find Draco."

"Charlet no, don't do that! I really like you," Harry tried to remain calm as he pulled her back to him and kissed her once again.

This time Charlet dug her fingernails into his back with the intent of leaving serious marks as punishment.

Harry continued kissing her, feeling revulsion well up inside him. He didn't react to the pain she was causing his back but it was taking everything he had not to. Those nails being dragged on his back reminded him of a particular punishment Vernon enjoyed inflicting. He shuddered just thinking about it.

Charlet took his shudder as excitement and looked up into his eyes with a wicked smile, "See, I knew you would feel as I do. Is there some place more private we could go?"

Harry thought quickly, "Professor Dumbledore has all the rooms warded against students trying to um, get together. I wish we could have more privacy too but there really isn't anywhere to go."

"That figures! This school is soo second rate," Charlet said with a pout.

Harry was saved from having to be alone with her any longer when they heard Seamus and Gabrielle call her name.

Harry answered, "We're in here Seamus."

Seamus and Gabrielle joined them in the gazebo with both girls glaring at each other.

"It's time we head back to Beauxbaton, Charlet. The portkey goes off in ten minutes with or without you," Gabrielle said in a slightly snippy tone of voice.

"But I'm not ready! Just because you're finished with your date does not mean that I have finished with mine," Charlet said as she grabbed Harry and pulled him towards her.

Seamus' eyebrows shot up and he clapped Harry on the back, "You're one lucky man Harry! Come on Gabby, let's go wait for them by the fountain." Seamus walked away with Gabrielle in tow.

Harry quickly tried to set the mood so he could give Charlet the portkey necklace. He held Charlet tightly and whispered into her ear, "I'm going to miss you so much Char. I wish we could have been together like you wanted."

"Well maybe we can. I'll write my aunt and see if we can spend the winter holidays together at Snape Manor!" Charlet said enthusiastically. "Although, I'm not about to tell her about our secret date."

"Yeah that sounds great!" Harry said but was thinking the opposite. "Until then, I have something, to thank you for coming to the dance with me."

Harry carefully pulled the box out of his pocket and handed it to Charlet.

Charlet grabbed the box greedily and opened it, "Oh my Harry! This is quite spectacular. Is it real? Because I won't wear anything that isn't real." She took her wand out and cast a simple spell to see if it was a real diamond. When she was satisfied that it was indeed a real diamond she squealed with joy.

"Oh my gosh! Wait till my friends see this! They'll be so jealous!" She took the necklace out of the box, throwing the box on the ground.

Harry took the necklace from her hands, "May I help?" She lifted her hair and Harry clasped the necklace around her slender neck. Relief washing over him with the click of the clasp.

"Oh Harry, I never knew you could pick something so nice. Someone must have helped you pick this out, its way too grand for someone like you to have selected," She stated quite oblivious to the insult she just made.

"I picked it out for you. I thought the diamond would match your eyes."

"It must have been very expensive? Where ever did you get the money?"

Harry couldn't believe she just asked that question. Even he knew it was rude. "I'm not telling you that!"

"Oh that's right, you are heir to the Snape family fortune now. Hmmp, just don't go spending all that money on some other girl," Charlet admonished. Harry couldn't tell if she really meant it or not.

Just then Gabrielle called, "Charlet hurry! The portkey is going off in a minute!"

Charlet ran to the fountain pulling Harry behind her. They embraced once more with a quick kiss.

"Harry, you are amazing!" Charlet grabbed onto the portkey and was gone before Harry could respond.

Seamus had a big smile on his face as he joked, "You're amazing Harry! I think I know who won the chocolate frogs now. Congratulations Harry!" Seamus clapped him on the back and they went into the building.

Harry spotted his father waiting in a doorway.

"I'll see you up in the room." Harry said to Seamus.

Seamus met up with his friends and Harry could hear them hooting and hollering about the evening.

"Did you accomplish the task?" Severus watched his son run his fingers through his hair and gather his emotions.

"Yeah, I did but it wasn't very fun. Charlet is such a bitch!" Harry stated as he walked up to his father.

"Mr. Potter, you will not speak that way of a young lady no matter how true it may be. It is not something I wish to hear from your mouth again."

"Oh, sorry sir."

Severus gave Harry a pat on the shoulder, "You did a fine job though."

"Thanks Severus. Will I see you tomorrow at the game?"

"Possibly. I will be working in the lab this evening. If I finish in time I will be there to watch you and to support the Slytherins."

"Hmm, so who do you wish will win?"

"Goodnight son," Severus reached out and messed up his son's hair. A very fatherly move, if he did say so himself.

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When Harry walked into the dorm room the guys erupted into cheers and gave him big pats on the back. Harry waved them away wishing they had not witnessed his time with Charlet.

"Congratulations Harry!" Dean said enthusiastically.

"You're a blessed man Harry!" came from Seamus.

Harry walked over to his bed and saw a pile of chocolate frogs on his quilt.

"Hey you guys, I wasn't in the contest and I didn't want to win," Harry said and threw the frogs on Ron's bed.

"Who cares Harry? Just be happy you had such a great night!" said Ron with a big grin. "I mean you might be the luckiest guy on earth."

_Right! If they only knew just how inaccurate that statement was._

The guys stayed up talking about the evening until late into the night. Harry undressed in the restroom and searched his back for the pain that had been emanating from the scratches. To his horror he saw several deep scratches with blood oozing out. He jumped in the shower to wash away the blood and any vestiges of Charlet. By the time he went back into the dormitory his friends were fast asleep. He lay down trying to occlude his mind of Charlet and the evening he had endured.

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Harry hadn't been asleep for more than a few hours when he found himself immersed in a nightmare.

He was in the infirmary and Severus was not with him. But it was more than just Severus not being with him. It was a strong feeling that Severus had abandoned him and was not coming back. Harry looked around and saw that the beds were empty. He saw a dark figure approach his bed but couldn't make out the face. It was just an overwhelming feeling of evil approaching. It scared him so much that he woke up with a start. He was drenched in sweat and overcome with fear. Harry realized the fear was from being abandon by his father. Was Severus gone? He couldn't shake the fear, it just felt so real. He jumped out of bed to see for himself.

Maybe the plan was beginning and Severus was gone? But in the nightmare Severus wasn't coming back.

The whole idea didn't make any sense but Harry had to see for himself. He had to know if the professor was gone.

Harry raced out the portrait and down the stairs to the dungeons. When he went through the door he saw the light on in the laboratory. He held his breath as he descended the stairs, just knowing that Severus was already gone and he would be alone once again. So, it came as a shock to see the professor look up at him with surprise.

Severus heard Harry come through the front door and wondered what had the boy awake at this hour.

"To what do I owe this early morning visit to?" Severus searched Harry for any signs of pain.

"Oh um." Harry couldn't think of anything to say. The nightmare had felt so real that he actually thought he would find the room empty. Now he stood awkwardly before the professor and tried to think of an excuse for this visit. He certainly wasn't going to tell the professor about the nightmare, that was for sure. Severus already knew about those false visions from Voldemort involving Ginny and he didn't want his new father thinking he was some pathetic, insecure child.

"Eloquent as ever," Severus said as he walked up to Harry and scrutinized him. "What has happened?"

Harry turned away but his father grabbed his arm, "Look at me. What has happened?"

"Um, nothing. It's just that I couldn't sleep and I thought I'd come down here and help you."

Severus tried to look into Harry's eyes for the truth but Harry pulled out of his grasp and looked away. He saw his son's shirt wet with perspiration and figured he must have had a nightmare.

"Are you aware that it is four a.m.?" Severus motioned for Harry to come sit on a stool by the work bench. "I have to speak with you regarding a few matters," Severus said, "Perhaps now will suffice."

Harry sat down and looked at the professor, relieved that he wouldn't have to explain his nightmare.

"First, I must tell you that at any time tomorrow I could be called away to begin the plan. I will not stay there but an hour at most."

"Who's going to stay with Charlet then?" Harry asked.

"I have appraised Dobby of the plan and he has willingly offered his assistance. I must say that he is rather dedicated to you."

"Yeah, Dobby and I go way back."

"The other issue I wish to discuss is the antidote I gave you. I am not sure how long it will last but I do know that it will last longer with more food and rest," Severus used a stern voice to get his point across.

"But what about Quiddich? I can still play can't I?" Harry couldn't let his teammates down now.

"As stated previously, you may play but I am now going to require a bargain for your playing in the game."

"Okay, what is it?" Harry asked.

"It is imperative that you eat three full meals and sleep at least eight hours a night," Severus saw his son frown. "Are you able to agree?"

"It's not that I don't want to agree. It's just that I can't sleep very well anymore. The only night I've ever slept through was that night that…" Harry quickly cut himself off in embarrassment over what he was about to reveal.

"Continue."

Harry shook his head, no.

"Continue," came the harsh command.

Harry looked up at him, startled by his father's voice. "No, plus it won't help me sleep any better."

Severus took a step closer to his son and grabbed his chin in a firm grip, forcing the boy's face up. He was getting tired of Harry disobeying him at every turn and hiding his vulnerabilities. "I-said - continue!"

Snape's voice cut right through any objectives Harry had. "Erm, well it's just really childish and well, it's just that the only time I slept good was that night you held me. I felt like you were a barrier between me and Voldemort," Harry whispered out feeling a flush creep up his face.

Severus let Harry's chin go. Harry rubbed his sore chin and whispered, "Ouch, hurts when you do that."

Severus was deep in thought over what Harry had revealed about his lack of sleep but he reached up and gently rubbed Harry's chin with his long fingers.

"You'll recover," Severus stated unsympathetically then asked another question. "Other than that night, when was the last night you slept well?"

Harry looked around uncomfortably and then cleared his throat before answering, "Since before Sirius."

Severus tried to make his face stay impassive as he wrestled with the idea of his son being so tortured by events that he couldn't even make it through a night without nightmares.

"I wish I could give you dreamless sleep potion but I fear it might interfere with the antidote." Severus bent his head down and held the bridge of his nose as he tried to come up with a solution. It was so important for Harry to sleep, it could mean the difference of days before the antidote wore off. Precious days!

"I will come up with a solution. In the mean time why don't you get a few more hours of sleep down here on the cot." Severus put his hand on Harry's back and the boy's breath hitched with pain. "What is it son?"

"Nothing! It's nothing," Harry said as he walked away from his father and laid down on the cot.

Severus reached out and pulled Harry's shirt up in the back. Harry tried to twist away but not before the professor saw the deep scratches.

"Please do not tell me that you and Charlet have had intimate relations?" Severus was appalled that his son could be put in such a compromising position due to the plan.

"No! Merlin Severus, I haven't even done that yet! I'm certainly not going to have Charlet be my first time," Harry rolled onto his side away from the professor with mixed emotions. He was angry the professor had thought so little of him and embarrassed that he even had those stupid marks on his back.

Severus looked down at his son, trying to come up with a fatherly thing to say. Shouldn't he talk about this with him? Oh Merlin, this was the part of parenting he was actually dreading.

"Harry, turn around and look at me," Severus pulled a chair next to the cot. "It is obvious that more than kissing occurred …" He was abruptly cut off.

"No, no! I'm not talking about this," Harry shook his head. "Severus nothing happened with Charlet. Nothing!" When he saw his father frown he quickly added, "But when I do decide to … you know, do what you think I did, then I will be sure to talk with you first."

_Could this night get anymore humiliating?_

"Fine but the behavior you displayed for the entire school to witness was not worthy of a son of mine."

Hearing Severus say that hurt Harry to the core. All he had wanted was to complete the task and make his Father proud of him.

"I know the circumstances were rather unusual but in future you will not act with such improper conduct. Do I make myself clear?" Severus hoped this was the right thing to say to a son.

"Yes sir. I promise that unless I'm poisoned by a wicked hag and we have to kidnap her child that I have to seduce into liking me, that I will not act in such an improper way again," Harry said with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes at his father. He noticed his father trying to hold back a smile.

"Well, as long as we have that cleared up, I might as well heal those untoward marks on your back. Merlin help me if Minerva were to see them in the locker room today." Severus whipped his wand out, "Accio healing balm."

With his father's gentle fingers rubbing in the salve and the sounds of the bubbling potions and warm quilt, Harry quickly fell into a peaceful sleep that lasted for hours.

His father continued sitting by the bed with his warm hand pressed against his son's back to help the boy feel safe enough to sleep. Severus continued thinking about how they were going to solve this sleeping problem as it was quite clear the boy felt much safer in his presence during sleep. It touched him deeply.

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"Harry wake up," Severus shook his son again. Merlin the boy slept like the dead today. "Harry, come now son. Harry it's time for Quiddich!"

Harry's eyes shot open and he quickly sat up and looked around. _Oh yeah, the dungeon and my dad._

"Whatimesit?' Harry mumbled out as he rubbed his eyes.

"English Potter?"

"Time Dad?" Harry said between yawns and stretches.

Severus' heart skipped a beat at hearing his son call him Dad again.

"You have slept through breakfast and it is now noon. Lunch before the game."

"Oh bloody hell, I'm late! I have to go all the way up to get my stuff and meet everyone in the Great hall and I haven't even taken a shower yet! Bloody hell, why didn't you wake me sooner?" Harry frowned at his father while he untangled himself from the quilt.

Severus glared back at Harry's disrespect, "Mr. Potter, watch yourself."

"Oh, sorry sir. I guess I'm not thinking clearly yet."

"Yet?" came the sarcastic voice, "However, you will find your Quiddich uniform on your bed in the dungeon."

"Thanks Severus and sorry about being so rude." Harry took the steps up two at a time and raced down the hall for a quick shower.

When Harry walked out to the living room Severus thought he could be no prouder of his son. Harry had his Quiddich uniform on and had an air of confidence about him. At least Vernon had not taken Harry's confidence in the sport from him. Severus only wished Harry showed that same assurance in every other area.

They walked up to the Great Hall with Severus' arm thrown over his son's shoulder, giving him encouragement the entire way up. Harry bet the professor a hot chocolate and chocolate frogs that he would catch the snitch. When they stepped into the Great Hall they were both surprised at the cheers that erupted when Harry stepped through the door. There were banners and encouraging calls from all three houses. Severus was surprised that Harry had not stepped away from him upon entering the hall. Then he was actually shocked when Harry gave him a quick one armed hug before going off to join his friends.

Harry joined the Quiddich team at the far end of the table. He sat next to Ron and across from Ginny and Dean. He tried to get Ginny's attention but she refused to look at him. _Damn I blew it!_

Several students came up and clapped Harry and other members of the team on the back and cheered them all on. When the team finished eating, they all got up together to loud cheers as they headed out the door and down to the locker room. Harry made a special point of giving Severus a big smile and wave and was shocked when his dad actually gave him the thumbs up signal.

On the way down to the locker rooms Harry squeezed his way next to Ginny. She looked up at him and his heart dropped when he saw the hurt look in her eyes.

"Ginny, can we talk today after the game? Please Gin?" Harry pleaded. He raised his hand to push a hair from Ginny's face. Ginny jerked her head away and looked at him with contempt.

"About what? How great your date kisses?" Ginny sped up and walked between Dean and Seamus.

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The Quidditch match was very exciting. The entire game they were neck and neck making the fans cheer all the more. A few times Harry caught himself watching Ginny instead of the snitch, and was brought back to the game by Malfoy zooming by him. Malfoy was up to his same cheating ways as he would purposely shoot hexes at Harry. A few times Harry actually came close to falling but had managed to hang on to his broom. At one point the snitch totally disappeared and both Harry and Malfoy were hovering up high looking for it. It was the perfect time for Malfoy to get a few jabs at Harry's date last night.

"Potter, I hear you had to actually bribe your date with diamonds to get her to come with you! Next time save yourself the money and just go with Hillary Smidgen!"

"Sod off Malfoy. If you actually took the time to get to know Hillary you wouldn't say that."

Malfoy pulled his wand out of his shirt sleeve and threw a body blast at Harry that hit him in the foot.

_Ouch! That hurt like fire! _Harry caught sight of the Snitch way down by the stands and took off after it with his foot blazing in pain.

Malfoy caught sight of it a second later and raced Harry to catch it. Harry was slightly in the lead and coming up on the Snitch when he felt his broom get hit from behind. Suddenly he went spiraling through the air, totally out of control. He still hung tight to his broom but couldn't stop the spiral he was in as he headed for the stands. He heard people screaming as he crashed into the corner of the stands. Then his whole world went dark.

He must not have been out very long because he awoke to someone pulling him into the stands. His cloak had caught the edge and he had been dangling high above the pitch. He helped to pull himself over the edge and needed a moment to get his bearings. Suddenly he was surrounded by concerned students crowding in and asking if he was okay. His head had slammed into the stands causing a giant gash over his left eye. He felt hot liquid running down his face and knew it was blood. He had a hard time catching his breath as so many people were crowded around trying to help him.

A sharp voice cut through the crowd and the students backed off. Harry was still lying on the floor when his father pushed his way through and knelt down next to him.

"Let me assess the damage," came the no nonsense voice. Harry felt his chin being grabbed harshly and made a mental note to speak with his father about not doing that in the future.

"The cut is deep Harry, I can actually see bone," Severus gauged then ran his wand along the rest of Harry's body. "What's wrong with your foot Mr. Potter?"

"Malfoy," was all Harry said.

Severus looked at him sharply then looked out to the Quidditch field for Malfoy. Malfoy was hovering nearby and saw the professor signal for him to come in.

Malfoy flew to the stands and jumped off his Firebolt with a big grin at seeing Harry on the ground.

"Wipe that grin off your face Malfoy before I take it off!" Severus growled out. He grabbed the front of Malfoy's uniform and pulled him closer. Malfoy looked ready to faint.

"Did you shoot a curse at my son!" Snape was still kneeling by Harry and pointed to Harry's purple swollen foot with his wand.

"He told me to sod off! It was only a body blast Severus," Draco whined.

"I don't care if it was a Rictusempra! My son is off limits to you or any other Slytherin. I thought I made that perfectly clear," Severus glared at the boy until he looked nervous enough to wet himself.

"Okay, I get it!" Draco jumped on his broom and flew out over the pitch.

"I will make him apologize later," Severus said in a threatening voice. Then he tilted Harry's chin up one more time before saying, "I'm afraid you will need to come out of the game."

"No! Please Severus, you can fix it! You know you can." Harry begged, not about to give in this time.

"I can stop the bleeding but I do not want you flying with a head injury like this." Severus waved his wand over the cut then applied a healing salve to stop the bleeding. He waved his wand again and Harry's face was suddenly clean of blood.

"Come now Harry, there will be other games to play in," Severus did feel sorry for the boy but was not about to relent.

"Will there! Will I still be here to play in other games?" Harry didn't mean to sound so dramatic but he couldn't help feeling that it could be true.

Severus rolled his eyes at his son and said sarcastically, "A little dramatic aren't we?"

Okay, now Harry was fuming over being ridiculed like that. His father had absolutely no sympathy for what he was going through. He was just about to give his father a piece of his mind, when Severus suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out a red coin.

Severus bent low and whispered, "Charlet is at the hideout, I have to go. Go see Poppy, **now**."

Harry hardly had a chance to process the words his father said before the man disappeared into the stands.

The plan was beginning! Harry couldn't imagine how Charlet would respond to being kidnapped.

Madame Hooch flew over on her broom and landed in the stands by Harry. She looked at the angry cut above his eye before saying, "That's a nasty cut Potter. Are you out of the game?"

Harry blurted out, "No, my father said I can keep playing."

Madame Hooch looked a might shocked but blew her whistle and yelled, "Let the game commence!"

Harry quickly stood up and grabbed his broom from the Hufflepuff who had helped him into the stands. He kicked off and joined up in the game once again to cheers from the crowd.

He knew he would catch hell later but at this point he didn't care. He was going to catch that Snitch for his father if it was the last thing he did. After a few more goals had been scored Harry spotted the Snitch. He faked left as Malfoy was so close. He watched as Malfoy zoomed out in front of him but going the wrong way. His heart was beating hard as it always did just before he caught the Snitch. He was so close almost upon it when he started seeing double. His vision threw him off balance and he began to wobble dangerously close to the stands once again. Harry squeezed his eyes shut then opened them once more to see slightly better. Now he had lost sight of the snitch and was just about to turn when the snitch buzzed right by his head.

He raced after it and wrapped his hand around the tiny gold ball … just before he passed out cold!

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	32. Chapter 32 Broken Trust

-1Chapter 32 Broken Trust

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Harry raced after the Snitch and wrapped his hand around the tiny gold ball … just before he passed out!

While unconscious he fell twenty feet down and landed in the pitch to a bone shattering thud. The same weak spot in his left arm that he had broken previously had snapped. It brought him back to a harsh reality filled with pain. He couldn't hold back a blood curdling scream that escaped his lips before he clamped his mouth shut. Everyone was on him, some people cheering, some people asking if he was okay. It seemed half his team mates hadn't seen the fall and didn't even know he had been injured. Dean grabbed his broken arm and tried to lift him up. Harry screamed again and everyone realized something was terribly wrong.

Ginny was the first to notice his arm hanging at a funny angle. She yelled for everyone to back off then knelt down next to him on the pitch. "Harry, your arm is broken! Stay still until Madame Pomfrey comes to help."

Harry couldn't talk he was in so much pain. His arm was not the worst of his problems. His vision was double and his head was throbbing like a jackhammer inside. He reached out with his good hand towards Ginny and realized he was still holding the snitch. He opened his hand up and the tiny gold ball flew away. He couldn't quite see Ginny as his vision was so bad but he stretched his hand towards her anyways in hopes that she would hold it. Ginny took hold of Harry's hand and the last thing he remembered was her warm soft grip.

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Harry woke up in the infirmary surrounded by his friends and Madame Pomfrey. His arm was throbbing and he felt as if his head wanted to explode.

"Harry you're awake!" came Hermione's relieved voice. "We were really worried about you."

Harry turned his head slowly to minimize the throbbing and saw Hermione with Ginny standing behind her.

He looked Ginny in the eyes and didn't look away until she smiled. He smiled back with an unspoken understanding passing between them. She stepped forward and took hold of his hand again. Harry felt her soft fingers envelope his hand.

He held her gaze until Ron rudely interrupted, "Hey mate, you might have won the game but my sister is not the prize."

"Shut it Ron!" Ginny hissed and he was punched on the arm by Hermione.

That was enough to get Madame Pomfrey to kick them all out. After they left Madame Pomfrey assessed the damage done to Harry's arm one more time before handing him a cup of bone mend.

It tasted horrible but Harry wasn't really thinking about that. He was too concerned for what his father was going to do to him when he found out he had disobeyed him again. The bone mend made him feel tired and it was only a matter of minutes before he was sleeping.

Harry was in a deep sleep when he was once again overcome with fear as the nightmare began. In the nightmare he was in the infirmary and Severus was nowhere to be found. He felt the overwhelming feeling that he had been abandon. He was all alone again with no hope of having a family. He was forced to the bed as a dark figure approached. He wanted to run or start screaming but there wasn't anyway for him to move. A hand reached out and stroked the side of his face. He immediately woke up with a start. He sat up quickly and looked around.

He was in the infirmary but only McGonagalll and Pomfrey were there and they were standing at the end of his bed.

"What in the world were you dreaming Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked as she made her way to his bedside.

"I-I can't remember." Harry did remember but was not telling anyone about his childish insecurities.

"Well do you remember why you risked your health and continued playing in the game after that head injury?" McGonagall was angry and clasped her hands tightly in front of her.

Madame Pomfrey added, "I'm not sure what was going through Severus' head when he gave you permission to stay in the game. He knows as well as I do that you should have been brought directly to me!"

"I have no idea what Severus is thinking these days as far as Harry is concerned," McGonagall said under her breath but loud enough for Harry and Pomfrey to hear.

Harry looked at her, wondering what she was referring to. He thought Severus was a good dad.

Madame Pomfrey wrapped Harry's arm in a sling and checked his head one more time when they heard the infirmary doors slam open.

"Would someone please inform me as to why my son has a sling on his arm?" came the cold angry voice. Harry looked up to see his father approaching with robes billowing dramatically behind.

Oh Merlin, Harry wanted to climb under the bed when he saw his father's face filled with fury.

"Severus don't come in here blaming anyone else except yourself. You should have known better than to send Harry back into that game with a head injury that severe!" Poppy was not backing down from the menacing glare.

Severus looked at her with confusion for half a second before it dawned on him what had taken place. He whirled around and faced Harry with a glare. "Don't even think of moving," he quietly hissed at his son.

Harry shook his head no and pushed deeper into the pillows. He watched his father, McGonagall and Pomfrey go into the infirmary office and close the door.

The three sat down with the women facing Severus. The Potion Master was the first to speak.

"Am I to understand that Mr. Potter misrepresented my directions and continued playing in the game?" Snape's voice was wavering on fury.

"Oh yes, that is exactly what happened," Minerva said. "He played until he actually passed out and landed on that fragile arm he should have been nursing. But if you ask him I am sure he would see nothing wrong with what he did. In his eyes the end result was that he caught the snitch and won the game, giving no regard to his safety!" Now it was Minerva holding back anger at her student.

"That's it! I'm going to kill him!" Snape started to rise but Minerva pulled his arm and demanded he sit.

"Calm down professor. I'm just as upset at him as you are. You are his parent now and must come up with a _well thought out _punishment," Minerva reprimanded.

Snape looked towards the women and said, "You know, I should just leave and let him suffer this out alone."

"That is actually a good punishment Severus. Why not leave him to suffer out the consequences of his actions alone?" Poppy suggested. "He will probably be in here for two days and that would be a good amount of time for him to think about the error of his ways. I will be with him but he relies heavily on you and his friends for support."

"Yes, perhaps I should forbid his friends from visiting and stay away myself. Let him simmer in the mistake he brought on himself." Severus thought it cruel to leave the boy alone when he was in pain but maybe this time Harry would learn a lesson on impulse.

Harry waited nervously for his fate to be decided. Suddenly the office door flew open and slammed against the wall.

Severus stormed over to Harry with a fierce look on his face. He grabbed the front of Harry's pajamas and pulled his son towards him, "You should consider yourself fortunate that you are surrounded by people who would frown upon the punishment I wish to inflict." He threw Harry back against the pillows and stalked out of the room without looking back.

Harry was actually shaking. He knew this was the nightmare coming true. His father was so mad at him that he couldn't even be in the same room anymore.

Harry didn't know what to do but he did know he needed to get out of the infirmary before anything happened to him, before the dark figure approached. He needed to talk with his father. He was the only one who could make the nightmare not come true.

"Mr. Potter, I know Severus is upset right now but give him time. He needs to calm down before he can discuss this rationally. In the mean time, might I suggest you begin to contemplate the danger you put yourself in?" McGonagall said as she patted Harry's hand.

Harry rolled over and tucked his head down in the covers. So, the nightmare was going to come true. He could feel it. He tried to ignore his pounding head and aching arm but the pain was close to unbearable. He fought the sleep that tried to overtake him not wishing to suffer the nightmare anymore.

A few hours later he was still awake when Poppy asked him to sit up and take more potions. Even the slightest movements filled his tired body with sharp pain.

"Um Poppy, do you think you could ask my father to come see me now?"

Poppy looked at the poor boy with sympathy, "I'll send a note down and let him know you are awake but I am not sure he will come." She left the potions on the night stand and went back to her office.

Harry turned on his side once again to wait for his father. After an hour Poppy came back to his bed.

"I'm sorry Harry but Severus is busy right now. Why don't you take the pain potion and catch a little nap?"

Harry nodded but didn't take the pain potion. He knew if he took it he would fall right to sleep and get stuck in the nightmare once again. He fought hard to keep his eyes open and wait for Severus.

He watched the giant clock on the wall tick slowly as hour after hour passed. The hallways were dim and all his friends were sleeping by now. His arm hurt so bad that he could hardly keep from moaning.

Finally he made a decision to get out of this infirmary and away from the nightmare and go find Severus in the dungeon. He quietly got out of bed and not finding any shoes, walked barefoot down to the dungeons. It took him a long time since he was holding the wall for support most of the time.

By the time he got to the dungeon he felt sure he would collapse. He walked through the livingroom and was just about to open the laboratory door when a cold voice stopped him.

"What are you doing out of the infirmary?" Severus had a glare that made Harry step back involuntarily.

"You wouldn't come," came the near whisper.

"That is correct, **I **chose not to see you." Severus stepped closer to the exasperating boy.

"I didn't mean to make you mad, sir," Harry looked down at his bare feet and held his broken arm close to his body. He was shocked when Severus lunged at him and grabbed his chin roughly, forcing him to look up at the professor's angry face.

"You have absolutely no regard for my authority! I told you the game was over for you and **you** chose to ignore that. Why would you put yourself in such danger, Potter?" Severus had the boy up against the wall now and knew he should probably lighten his grip on the boy's face but was too angry. This boy had total disregard for safety!

"I don't know," Harry wasn't going to tell him the truth. He wasn't going to tell him he did it so Severus would be proud of him. His chin hurt and Harry tried to pull his father's hand away, "That hurts."

"You are in no position to dictate how you are disciplined after the stunt you pulled today." Severus glared at the boy then tightened his grip even more causing Harry to gasp. All Severus could think about was the danger Harry had put himself in.

"Why did you do it?"

"I-I just wanted to make you proud because I caught the snitch," Harry said in total misery.

Severus abruptly released his grip and Harry slid down the wall onto his knees. The pain became too unbearable and he crumbled onto the ground panting. He tried to hide his pain as best he could by burying his face in his good hand but failed miserably.

At first Severus just watched his son sink to the floor. He had so many mixed emotions about this boy right now. He was angry over Harry putting himself in so much danger but touched that Harry was doing it for him. Didn't the blasted boy know he was proud of him already?

Severus looked down at his son and saw he was struggling to hide his pain. He knelt down beside him and placed his hand on Harry's back before asking, "Come now Harry, did I really hurt you that much?"

It took Harry a moment before he knew what Severus was referring to. Severus thought Harry was in pain over his chin being grabbed.

"No, it's just that everything hurts," Harry sat back and looked at his father sitting on the floor with him.

"But your arm and head shouldn't hurt anymore. I gave Pomfrey special potions to take away all that pain. You took all those potions didn't you son?" Severus assessed the boy closely, no this child was in immense pain. Did his potions fail him?

Harry just looked at his father, not wanting to tell him the truth.

"You have taken the potions, correct?"

Harry shook his head, "They make me sleep." He leaned his throbbing head back onto the wall and waited for his father to yell at him.

Severus understood. His son was not even close to being healed emotionally, no matter how much the boy did not want to open certain memories. Those nightmares of Privet Drive must still be plaguing him.

"Very well, I will delay punishment until we deal with your current state. Does Pomfrey know you left?"

Harry shook his head again.

"Yes, I should have figured as much. I will add your escape from the infirmary to your long list of transgressions. I should think you would get tired of wearing my patience thin by now. Up until now I feel I have been too lenient with you. I do not plan to continue with that oversight." He began to rise as he lifted his son's good arm to help him stand.

"Come, let's head back to the infirmary where I will watch you drink the potions," Severus stated in a no nonsense tone.

Harry stood but didn't follow his father. He stayed by the wall and watched his father whirl back to glare at him.

"I said come!" Severus walked back and stood in front of his son.

"I'm not going back there Severus. I'll go up to Gryffindor if you don't want me here but I'm not going back to the infirmary." Harry knew he should tell his father about the dream but it sounded so lame even to himself.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to calm down before handling his son once again.

"Harry, you brought this on yourself and you need to deal with the consequences of your actions by yourself. I told you not to play any longer for good reason. I am not sure exactly what sort of punishment you will incur but it begins with you suffering through this by yourself in the infirmary. And I might add that your friends have expressly been forbidden to visit you as well." Severus watched Harry's face drop and become filled with fright. The boy looked on the verge of collapsing.

"No! Please Severus, I'll do any other punishment. You can lock me in my room or even hit me but I just can't go back to the infirmary," Now Harry was on the verge of losing it. Not just because of the amount of pain he was in but also due to the nightmare becoming a reality right before his eyes.

"Hit you? For Merlin's sake Harry I'm not going to hit you! Why is the infirmary such a horrible thought to you? You've spent half your school career in there! Madame Pomfrey dotes on you like a child and your meals are brought to you in bed. You act as if I'm sending you to Azkaban!" Severus grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him along towards the door.

Harry yanked his arm away and collapsed onto his knees on the floor. He dropped his head into his hand and fought to hold back tears. He just knew that going to that infirmary also meant losing his father.

"Harry, son what is going on?" Severus dropped down next to his son and pulled him into an embrace. He noticed the boy trying to mask the pain he was in but failing miserably.

Harry pressed his forehead into his father's chest and clutched onto the Potion Master's robes.

Severus raised his wand and pointed it at the laboratory door, "Accio, Harry Potter's healing potions."

The door creaked open and four vials of potions floated into Severus' hand.

"Relax son. I want you to take these and then I'll sit with you while you sleep." Severus watched as Harry obediently drank all four potions without question and his face became more relaxed.

"Could we just stay out here on the sofa?" Harry didn't want to take any chances of his father leaving him locked in his room.

Severus was so confused about Harry's reluctance to go back to the infirmary. He would have to find out if something happened while Harry was there earlier. He helped his son stand then walked with him to the sofa. Severus sat down and pulled Harry down next to him. Harry's breath hitched over that move and Severus reminded himself not to be so rough with the boy. He looked at his son's face and saw the deep red imprint of his fingers still on Harry's chin.

He felt regretful over hurting him and said, "I do believe I owe you a hot chocolate and chocolate frogs." Severus flicked his wand and the chocolate treats appeared before Harry on the coffee table.

Harry smiled at his father remembering their bet but couldn't even think about eating with his stomach in knots.

"Come here, rest your head on my lap and get some sleep. We will discuss all this later."

Harry pulled his feet onto the sofa and let Severus adjust his broken arm so it was resting on a pillow. At first he felt funny about resting on his father like a child but after he laid his head down he forgot about everything. It didn't take very long for sleep to come with his father's gentle fingers running through his hair and the fire crackling warmly in the grate and the warm quilt wrapped around his body.

Not much later the floo turned green and Madame Pomfrey's head appeared. She took in the scene before her and shook her head. "So that's where he disappeared to."

"Poppy do you have a moment to discuss Harry?" Severus asked in a quiet voice so as not to wake his son.

"Yes, as a matter of fact Minerva and I were just discussing your son. Do you mind if she comes along?" Poppy asked.

"No, by all means bring her along. I so enjoyed the two of you shrieking at me earlier," Severus said in an acerbic tone.

The ladies walked through the floo and took in the scene before them as they sat down.

Severus spelled a pot of steaming tea and two cups in front of them.

"Harry is very reluctant to return to the infirmary. Has something unusual happened to make him feel this way?" Severus asked as he pushed back the hair off his sleeping son's forehead.

"No Severus, nothing more unusual than is normal for Harry," Poppy answered.

"I know I spoke with both of you earlier regarding a proper punishment for Harry's transgressions but perhaps I should come up with a different punishment." Severus studied the faces of his two mentors in parenting.

Minerva thought about this for a moment then added, "Did he seem reluctant to return to the infirmary before you told him his friends would not be allowed to visit or after, Severus?"

"Why should that matter?" Severus asked.

"Well Severus it must have occurred to you at some point that Harry would much rather stay here with you for obvious reasons." Minerva said as she indicated around the room.

"And what would those reasons be?" Severus did not like the direction this conversation was taking.

Both ladies chuckled and Poppy spoke up first, "I'm sure Harry would prefer the leniency you have with him compared to the rules I would adhere to in the infirmary. For heaven sakes Severus, chocolate frogs as a bedtime snack could hardly be healthy for a sick child."

Severus was truly taken aback at hearing that. Were they implying that he spoiled Harry and let him get away with things that the medi-witch wouldn't?

Minerva added, "Severus, just think about the way he acted at the ball? And the rules he broke today. Not to mention the way he hid in that secret passageway causing the whole wizarding world to worry. Is it no wonder that he would rather be with you then fulfill his original punishment alone in the infirmary as you had intended?"

Severus looked down at his sleeping son and couldn't help but think that there must be another reason for him not wanting to stay in the infirmary. Regardless of what the ladies said he knew that Harry was neither spoiled nor trying to take the easy way out. He unintentionally ran his fingers through his son's hair once again.

Minerva chuckled again and said, "Severus you indulge that child to any length. You better watch out or Harry will end up like Mr. Malfoy! Harry's clothes cost more than a whole year teacher salary and the new toys he has acquired would put the most spoiled child to shame."

"Minerva, Harry is far from spoiled! As a matter of fact I consider myself to be rather strict with the boy," Severus said indignantly and spelled away the hot chocolate and chocolate frogs.

"Severus his original punishment should stand. Regardless the fuss he puts up," Minerva offered.

"Perhaps," Severus thought that over for a moment before continuing, "Yes, perhaps I should force him back into the infirmary and let him suffer the consequences. I will bring him back when he awakes. In the mean time he really does need this sleep," Severus knew the decision would be hard fought by Harry and decided to get permission from Albus to apparate the boy into the infirmary. It would be easier and less embarrassing for the boy than applying a locomotor or carrying him back if it came to that.

The ladies agreed and ended the evening by walking back through the floo with words of encouragement for Severus.

As uncomfortable as Severus felt about this punishment he felt that he was doing the right thing for Harry. The last thing he wanted was for Harry to turn into a self indulged adult. Harry couldn't afford to be pampered and spoiled due to his future encounter with Voldemort. But Severus knew nothing about parenting except what he had experienced from his own father, which was not the way he intended to raise his son. Even knowing that, he often heard himself sounding just like his own authoritarian father. The way he expected Harry to be polite and obedient at all times, the way he demanded Harry follow all the rules and even the way he abhorred profanities coming from the boy's mouth, had all reeked of his own father's set of strict laws.

But those set of rules had also represented the only form of attention he had ever received from his father, thus equating to the only form of caring.

Severus would impose strict punishments to make sure the boy did not become self indulged or spoiled but he would continue to show Harry physical comfort and positive encouragement as well. His biggest obstacle at this point was balancing discipline with a new emotion to him; compassion. In many ways he felt like he was flying blind in this tremendous task of parenting The-Boy-Who-Lived.

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Harry awoke to the fire crackling and his father's hand resting casually on his shoulder. He knew his head was still on the professor's lap and was a little ashamed over how comforted he was by that. He didn't want to move and alert his father to his being awake because he didn't want his father to move away.

Harry watched the flames in the grate and thought about the comfort this man had brought into his life. He thought back to his utter loneliness that had lasted most of his life. He wondered if Severus even knew what the adoption meant to him. He thought about how quickly Severus had decided to adopt him and wanted to ask the professor about it. He was brought out of his thoughts as his father gently stroked the hair back from his forehead. Harry closed his eyes and let the feeling of being taken care of wash over him.

Severus had been reading a book as his son slept soundly. His mind kept drifting back to the conversation he had with Poppy and Minerva. He couldn't imagine why they thought he spoiled his son. He knew he probably purchased too many gifts for Harry but he was also doing it for himself. He had grown up with nothing from his father and this was his chance to rectify that by giving Harry gifts that the boy had only dreamed of. Severus got more pleasure over seeing his son enjoy the gifts then Harry did. Besides if he was really truthful with himself, he knew it was also to try and make up for the way he had treated Harry over the summer and the poison his Aunt had inflicted on the boy. And as far as the well appointed clothes were concerned, he didn't see anything wrong with his son having the best. It would be expected of him to dress accordingly as the heir to the Snape fortune.

He looked down at his son's face and saw Harry's long black eyelashes blinking at the fire. He was slightly amused that Harry hadn't made a move to get up or make known that he was awake. He figured the boy was just enjoying the feeling of being cared for, because Severus was enjoying the feeling of caring for him. Severus knew Harry had been starved of physical and emotional support his entire life, making the boy crave it more than a normal sixteen year old would. He was contented to be the one to supply it for his son. He brushed back his son's hair with his fingers before breaking the comfortable silence.

"Sleep well?" Severus asked and didn't make any move to get up or shift.

"Yeah, I was just thinking," Harry didn't turn to look at the professor but continued watching the fire. "Professor, what made you want to adopt me? I mean I know we talked about this already and stuff but I feel like it happened so quickly."

At first Severus thought maybe the boy was having second thoughts, "Are you having misgivings Harry?"

"No! That's not why I'm asking. I was just wondering how you went from hating me to … you know, not hating me enough to adopt me."

Severus continued running his fingers through his son's hair and thought that question through a bit before answering, "First off, I never hated you. I might have thought you rather obnoxious and arrogant but that was before I actually knew you. Now I do not deem you those qualities."

"That's good to know."

"As far as my feelings towards you, I now consider myself to feel as most fathers would feel for their sons."

Harry's heart jumped a little at hearing that. Was Severus trying to say that he loved him? No, Harry chided himself against hoping to hear that from the Potion Master.

"You … you please me greatly. The decision to adopt you came quickly to me because I had actually started to contemplate your circumstances ever since your Godfather died. I knew a small part of your life with the Dursley's through Occlumency lessons and knew that you needed someone to help guide you through your experiences. At Professor Dumbledore's urging I had thought to be a mentor at first. But after I held your hand in the infirmary that first night, I knew _I_ needed _you_ just as much. I didn't want anyone to interfere with the support I would be able to offer you."

"What do you mean interfere?"

"I mean the blasted ministry has wanted to get control of you for years. If anything happened to Albus I was afraid they would get their way. And truth be told, I did not want Albus to control you anymore," Severus thought back to how the boy had been so ready for a true father figure.

"So, you only adopted me to get control of me?' Harry was hurt over hearing that it wasn't done out of feelings for him.

"No! Stop putting words into my mouth Mr. Potter," Severus tweaked Harry's ear and saw the boy rub it with his hand. "I wanted to care for you as a true father would, without other people trying to take control. I felt it best for both of us to make it a permanent situation from the start. Hoping you would begin to rely on me as a parent, knowing that I would always be there for you."

Harry was happy he had asked that question because the answer made him feel so good.

"Thanks Professor, for thinking of me and stuff."

Severus squeezed Harry's shoulder and rubbed Harry's ear a little. He never thought he could feel this way about anyone. It was scary to know that another person could unwillingly have so much control over his life.

"How is that arm of yours feeling?" Severus could see the purple swollen skin above the dressing applied to Harry's arm.

"Not so good sir. I feel like I fell twenty feet out of the air," Harry joked but then after noticing his Father's frown he wished he hadn't have brought that particular offense up.

Severus shook his head at Harry's attempted joke, "Well, it's a good thing you have a potion master for a father then isn't it? As much as I hate to have to disturb you, I will need to get up and get a few items." Severus helped Harry sit up and placed a pillow behind his son's back.

A few minutes after Severus went down to the lab Harry heard the floo crackling and watched Dumbledore rush out of the fire.

"Where is Severus!"

Before Harry could answer Severus walked out the laboratory door and looked at the Headmaster's face. He raised a hand to the Headmaster to keep him from speaking.

Severus handed Harry two vials and watched him drink them down.

He turned towards the Headmaster, "Let us converse in the laboratory."

"No! Stay up here, I want to know what's going on too," Harry said as he tried to sit up further.

"Mr. Potter, you will stay right were you are at and rest," Severus glared at his son until Harry put his feet back on the sofa.

Dumbledore and Severus went into the lab and the Potion Master cast a silencing spell on the door.

"What has happened? Has Vespa contacted you?" Severus asked as he turned towards the Headmaster.

"No, no word from Vespa yet. But, the ministry floo called and would like you and I to show up for questioning within the hour. They will be sending out a few Aurors to escort us to the ministry. All they know at this point is that the girl disappeared from her school. Stanton was the one who insisted that they question you and I. But they have no clues in this case."

"Fine, when will we go?"

"We are to meet the ministry Aurors at the main gate in an hour. Are you going to tell Harry?"

"No, I do not want him to worry. I'm returning him to the infirmary. He is reluctant to go back there for some reason that is still not clear to me. I wish to apparate him soon though."

"Of course Severus do whatever is necessary. I will lower the wards until you apparate Harry into the infirmary."

"Albus, I need your promise that if anything happens to me, you will find Vespa and get the antidote then kill her. Harry isn't safe with her roaming free in this world." Severus hoped he would be the one to do it though.

"Severus you have my word." After a moments hesitation he added, "The Aurors that have been assigned to the kidnapping were hand picked by Stanton and are a vicious lot of wizards. Hold strong my son."

Severus had been to the Ministry jails before and knew what dreadful ways they had to try and get him to talk. He had prepared himself with the antidote to Veritaserum for the past week. He could probably take more torture than any wizard alive but now that he had Harry in his life he had so much more to fight for. Severus hoped he would only be gone for a day or two at most, as he knew Harry would need him.

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After Dumbledore was gone, Severus went back into the living room. He watched his son stand up on shaky legs and turn to face him.

"Harry I need to speak to you. I must go check on Charlet and would like you to stay in the infirmary until I return," Severus watched the boy's face cloud with panic.

"Can I come with you? Please?"

Severus cleared his throat and tried to keep his voice steady, "I will be returning shortly Harry. A day or two at most."

"I know but I have to go with you," Harry tried not to let his panic show but it was hard. "Please Severus?"

"Why are you acting so distressed over the infirmary?" Severus moved closer to his son, studying his face. He watched Harry avert his eyes and knew right away the boy was trying to hide something. "Harry, is there something you are not telling me?"

"Um, it's just that you know I can't sleep and I would just feel better if you let me come," Harry begged. "I'm not going back to the infirmary and you can't make me!"

"Harry, I _can_ make you but I would prefer you went willingly." What was wrong with the blasted boy? Severus softened his voice, "You need to recover with proper care."

Harry felt himself losing control over his emotions and his eyes betrayed him with tears, "Please, I don't want to stay here alone. Please don't leave me!" He wiped his tears with the back of his hand and felt his world crumbling apart. This was it, the nightmare had come true. Should he tell his father about the dream, would it even make a difference? Probably not, hadn't his last vision about Ginny turned out to be nothing?

Severus felt his heart constrict over hearing his son begging him with such unabashed emotion. It suddenly occurred to Severus that the head trauma and possibly the poison must be contributing to Harry's emotional state. The sooner he got Harry settled the better it would be for the exhausted boy. Now he knew he had no other choice but to apparate Harry into the infirmary. With the way Harry was acting he certainly would not go willingly.

He cleared his throat once again, "Son, I have to do what is best for you."

"You mean leaving me is best for me! I need to go with you, that's what's best for me!" Harry felt so weak now and he knew something bad would happen if Severus left him. "Please Dad don't leave me. I'll do whatever you say but please don't leave." Harry didn't even try to wipe the tears from his face anymore. He could care less if his father saw him cry.

"Come here Harry," Severus said and opened his arms to his son.

Harry moved towards his father and leaned his throbbing head against his Dad's chest as his father wrapped his arms around him. Harry wasn't ready for what happened next. He heard a sound like a Muggle vacuum and felt his body being squeezed. He closed his eyes knowing that his father had tricked him and they had apparated into the infirmary. When he opened his eyes again he saw the infirmary was empty except for him and his father. After apparating like that he didn't have any energy left and just let his father lay him down on the bed.

"You tricked me," Harry whispered as he looked up at his father with large tears rolling down his face and feeling completely betrayed. He tried to push himself up but couldn't. He knew it was time to tell Severus about the dream and was just about to confide in his father when Severus pulled his wand out.

Severus didn't want to do this to his son but he had no other choice. He pulled his wand out and cast a sleeping spell on the boy. Harry couldn't fight it off and his head landed back on the soft pillow.

Severus covered the sleeping boy and squeezed his shoulder. He hated himself for tricking his son and would never forget the look of betrayal Harry had in his eyes. He walked over to the floo and went to Dumbledore's office just wanting this nightmare for his son to end.

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Professor Dumbledore was up in his office when Severus appeared out of the floo.

"How is Harry?" The Headmaster asked with concern.

"The boy is quite emotional, most likely due to the head trauma but he is sleeping peacefully now. I will be anxious to get back to him though."

Dumbledore smiled and said, "He is in good hands and will survive one night without you. Just keep your mind on the task at hand."

Severus nodded and then asked, "Have the newspapers reported Charlet's disappearance?"

"No, not yet. I suppose Fudge is going to try and keep it from getting out to the public as long as possible. It wouldn't due to have children snatched from schools with Voldemort's return so public now. Especially after the scare we had with Harry. I expect Madame Maxime is none too anxious to let it become public either."

Severus nodded his head, grateful to not have to deal with reporters.

Dumbledore called Minerva to his office and told her that Severus and he would need to leave for a day or two. He also told her that she would not be able to reach them by floo nor owl during their time away.

Severus spoke up and asked if she would keep a close eye on Harry. Minerva smiled over his nervousness and assured the Potion Master that Harry would be fine.

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Harry awoke to Madame Pomfrey lifting his head. His eyes were so heavy that he wasn't sure if he was still dreaming. He tried to ask a question but he heard his words slur together incoherently. Madame Pomfrey smiled at him and said something that sounded like another language. He tried again to ask for Severus but the medi-witch just smiled condescendingly and tilted his head back. She poured a foul tasting potion into his mouth and he tried to spit it out. He was so weak over the sleeping spell and potions that all he managed to do was get a little of it to dribble down his chin.

Madame Pomfrey saw how Harry was stubbornly trying to fight the potions and decided to give him an extra dose. She was still upset with the boy over leaving the infirmary without permission. She agreed with Minerva's earlier statement about the boy becoming spoiled and vowed not to let that happen whilst he was under her care. She poured another vial of potion through the boy's clenched teeth and watched as he tried to spit it out.

"Shame on you Harry Potter! You might be able to manipulate Severus but you cannot manipulate me. Those potions should teach you a lesson. You won't be able to move for quite a while now and give that arm a chance to heal!" With that done she turned on her heel and headed down to breakfast, knowing that her ward would not be going anywhere soon.

Harry's mind was spinning but his body wasn't responding, he couldn't move. He could feel himself begin to panic.

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Minerva had been going over some simple forms in her office when Filch ran in, out of breath.

"Is Dumbledore gone already?" asked the groundskeeper in a huff.

"Yes, Mr. Filch. What is the problem?" Minerva asked.

"Oh there's no problem. We have a visitor and she requested to see Harry Potter. She says she's his aunt."

Minerva was taken aback. It couldn't possibly be Petunia Dursley, for she was a Muggle and had no way of getting here without an escort.

"Did you check her credentials? Is she truly Mr. Potter's aunt?"

"Course I did! She is who she claims to be!" Filch was angry over being questioned about letting people into the castle who should not be there.

"Well bring her in Mr. Filch. I would like to meet her first."

Before Filch left the office, Minerva thought to ask, "Did she say what her name is?"

Filch nodded his head and said, "Yes, she said her name is Vespa Snape. She's the boy's adopted aunt."

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	33. Chapter 33 House Bound

33 House Bound

Vespa Snape had received the shocking news that her niece had disappeared from Beauxbaton Academy on Saturday morning. By Saturday night she had a full fledged plan in place that she knew would not fail. The thought of her foolish nephew kidnapping her heir/adopted daughter had brought more anger to her than she had ever thought possible. She was so angry in fact that she had actually killed her two favorite house elves with spells that had long been illegal. That had only added fuel to the fire and she vowed to make her nephew pay dearly.

Vespa knew that the best way to get to Severus was through the boy, Harry Potter. It had been easy to arrange for both Severus and Headmaster Dumbledore to be called away to the ministry. On Sunday Stanton had informed her that both wizards were in custody at the ministry and she apparated straight to Hogwarts to begin her plan. She figured that she might need to obliviate a few teachers that knew she had poisoned the boy and was ready to do so at a moments notice. She also thought that she would need to cast an Imperius curse on the boy so he would come with her willingly.

Vespa found Hogwarts poorly protected with a loathsome groundskeeper as the only person she had to convince that she was indeed the boy's aunt. That had been easy because legally she was the boy's aunt. When he led her into Professor McGonagall's office, Vespa cast a wandless legillimens and rifled through the professor's memories. She found that the teacher had no idea about the poison. She quickly informed Professor McGonagall that Severus had sent her to retrieve Mr. Potter and bring him home for a few days until Severus returned to the school. She explained that Severus did not want the boy to be alone during his absence.

McGonagall wasn't surprised that Severus had asked his aunt to come pick up Potter, as the man had been so worried about the boy before he left. She invited the elder witch to a seat and offered tea and biscuits. Once the tea was served McGonagall informed Madame Snape of Harry's latest condition and assured her that Harry was resting peacefully in the infirmary.

Vespa had masked her face and did not show the surprise she had over the boy being in the infirmary. She bluffed her way along and pretended that she knew all about the accident that Potter had suffered. She was surprised she hadn't picked up on that when she had cast the Legilimens on the professor.

"Oh that boy! Whatever are we to do with him? He seems bent towards putting himself into perilous positions," McGonagall said in a friendly but exasperated tone of voice.

Vespa nodded her head and said what the professor wanted to hear, "Oh yes, this past summer when we were together at Snape Manor, I was amazed at the antics the boy pulled. But, you know my nephew; he seems to let that boy get away with murder!" Vespa laughed at her own pun.

"Oh, I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees that Severus spoils the boy. Why just last night he gave his son chocolate frogs for a bedtime snack and let him escape from the infirmary," Minerva said in annoyance.

"Well not to worry my dear. Rest assured, now that I'm here the boy will need to abide by my rules. He will eat proper meals and I will be sure he gets the rest that he requires." Vespa had plans for the boy that did not include either of those.

Minerva liked this no nonsense witch and was only too happy to have Harry recover under her watchful eye. It would do the boy good to have to abide by rules without Severus interfering. She led the witch down the corridors leading to the infirmary.

Just before they stepped through the infirmary doors Vespa suddenly spoke up, "Oh Minerva, do you mind if I see the boy alone? I know how much I miss him and would love to have a few minutes privacy."

Minerva thought it wonderful that Severus' aunt was so close to Harry. "Why of course dear. Why don't I just run up to Gryffindor Tower and collect a few items that Mr. Potter may need on his stay with you?"

Vespa gave the professor a warm smile and watched as Minerva went up the winding staircase. Vespa slowly pushed the doors open and had her wand hidden in her sleeve in case she ran into the medi-witch. She could see the only bed occupied at the far end and no one else was around. She slowly walked towards the bed, ready to cast an Imperius as soon as the boy saw her.

Harry had been struggling against the potions that ran through his system ever since he awoke. He still couldn't move his arms or legs and tried to speak again but sounded garbled to his own ears. He went from scared to angry over the way he was being treated by the medi-witch. He couldn't wait to get out the hell out of here and vowed to never end up in the infirmary again. He still hadn't forgotten about the dream but tried not to think about it.

Suddenly he heard the doors to the infirmary creak open and could hear foot steps coming his way. He couldn't turn his head to see who was coming but he could feel a dark presence. The feeling got stronger until he actually begun to shake involuntarily. The dark shadow of his dreams was now a reality, he could feel it coming. His senses were on high alert and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up in warning. He tried once again to yell for help but all that was heard was a moan.

Then a hand with long sharp fingernails stroked his face gently sending chills down his spine. Now he could see who was touching him and he felt himself go into a panic with bile rising in his throat. Another moan escaped his lips.

"Hush my child. Aunt Vespa is here to take care of you now. Come now dear, don't look so frightened," purred the dangerous cold voice into Harry's ear.

Harry could feel her stiff gray hair brush up against his cheek and smelled the lavender perfume he remembered from their last encounter. He tried to scream as his eyes looked around wildly for help but nothing but a moan escaped his lips.

"Well now, isn't this a lovely surprise. It seems I won't need to use any spells on you to get you to cooperate! Lovely, just lovely." Vespa raised her wand and said, "Locomotor!"

Harry felt himself floating while still on his back. Vespa directed him towards the floo and stepped into the green fire along with him. They flooed into Hogsmeade but stayed less than a second. Vespa pulled a portkey out and they were gone before anyone had ever seen them.

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Minerva had packed a small satchel with Harry's clothes and bath supplies, and then she went back down to the infirmary. When she saw that Vespa and Harry were already gone she was only mildly surprised. But, knowing Harry he probably couldn't wait to get out of the infirmary and talked his aunt into leaving immediately. Oh well, at least the boy would be well cared for.

Minerva left a note for Poppy and let her know that Harry was with his aunt now. She decided that another hot cup of tea was just what she needed after this long day.

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Severus had the worst headache he could ever remember having. The damn ministry officials had given him three doses of Veritaserum and they still did not get the information they were after. Stanton was adamant that they try again but luckily the Auror in charge denied him. Stanton threw a fit and was finally kicked out of the interrogation room.

Severus was told he was free to go. He found Dumbledore playing a game of chess with the auror in charge of interrogating the Headmaster. When the Headmaster saw him he thanked the Auror for the lovely tea and game of chess and Severus and he flooed into Hogsmeade.

Severus was anxious to check up on Harry and he thought he would postpone checking up on Charlet until later. By the time they made it up to Hogwarts it was dark already and most of the students were in their dorms. Severus walked into the infirmary and saw Poppy restocking the shelves. She smiled at him and asked how Harry was doing.

At first Severus didn't understand the question and had a look of confusion on his face.

The medi-witch asked again, "Severus how is Mr. Potter feeling? That arm should almost be healed by now after the double dose of muscle relaxer I gave him. I could tell he didn't want to take it but he needed it to make him stay in bed and keep that arm from moving about!"

Severus looked around and saw all the beds were empty. He thought Harry must be waiting for him in his quarters again. That boy just didn't follow the rules! He was just turning to head down to his rooms when the medi-witch spoke up again.

"Minerva thought your aunt a lovely woman. I would have loved to have met her. Maybe when she returns with Harry we should all have tea together?" Poppy turned back around and continued restocking the shelves.

"My aunt? My aunt was here! **Where the hell is my son**!" Severus panicked and grabbed hold of Poppy's arm.

"Severus relax! I thought you sent her here to get Harry! Minerva spoke with her and brought her down here on your orders!" The medi-witch ran over to the floo and called Minerva down to the infirmary.

It only took a minute for Minerva to show up. She smiled at Severus, "Severus I so enjoyed meeting Vespa today. She is a lovely woman and so fond of Harry."

Severus felt his insides melt and his head spun even more than before. He would have dropped to his knees over the shock but knew he didn't have that luxury and pulled himself together, "Do you mean to tell me that you released my son to Vespa Snape? That you let her take him off school grounds!" His voice was so dark that Minerva stepped away from him.

"B-but she said you sent her? She said you wanted her to take care of Harry. Are you telling me she did not have permission to take him?" Minerva had never seen the look Severus was giving her before. She stepped further away and felt herself flinch as Severus stepped closer.

"When did they leave? What did Harry say when he saw her?"

"They left hours ago. I didn't see Mr. Potter when he saw her. Vespa asked if I would give them a few minutes alone and when I returned they were gone. She didn't even wait for his satchel," Minerva replied as she nervously wrung her hands.

"Minerva you may have just handed Harry over to a murderer!"

Minerva's eyes grew wide as she thought of what she had just done.

Severus stepped past the anxious woman and headed up to Dumbledore's office. He felt dread spread throughout him and barely made it into the headmaster's office before he collapsed on a chair.

Albus saw the look on Severus' face, "My boy, what in the world has happened? Is Harry alright?"

Severus dropped his face into his hands and shook his head side to side.

Albus was up on his feet in a flash over the emotions this stoic man was displaying. He grabbed Severus' shoulder and demanded, "What has happened!"

"The whole interrogation was a set up. We were set up Albus! Vespa waltzed in here and Minerva handed my son over to her on a silver platter! He's gone Albus, Vespa has him!"

Albus sat down hard onto the chair next to Severus and felt every year of his age at that moment. This just couldn't be happening. Harry didn't deserve any of this.

Severus looked into the Headmaster's eyes, "Albus, he begged me not to leave him. My son begged me! He cried like a small child and pleaded with me. Do you know what I did? I opened my arms to him and once he embraced me I tricked him into the infirmary. Albus, if you could have seen the look in his eyes of betrayal …" Severus shook his head and wondered if Harry would ever trust him again. He couldn't even imagine what was being done to the poor boy right now and all because of him.

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As soon as Harry felt the pull on his navel he knew he had been portkeyed. When he opened his eyes again he saw the ceiling of a large mansion. He felt himself float past the fancy room down a dark stairwell. The air became frigid and he could see that he was in a laboratory of some sort. Now he could see hundreds of chandeliers crowded together on the ceiling. They looked to be old and half of them were not lit. The ones that were lit cast an eerie light around the room. He saw shelves stocked with odd dead creatures in glass jars along an entire wall. The other wall that he could see was stocked with all sorts of ingredients to make potions. The sounds of the cauldrons bubbling and the odd glass jars filled with unusual creatures filled him with dread.

Vespa released the locomotor spell and watched the boy slam down on a long metal workbench. She waved her wand and magical bands snaked out holding the boy down to the table. The fear she saw in the boy's eyes made her laugh with glee. Just the thought of striking that much fear into the son of her pathetic nephew made her glad she had gone through with this plan.

Harry looked around frantically for a way to escape. The thought of being bound up like this was starting to make him panic. How did Vespa know this was the worst possible punishment she could do to him? He watched as Vespa stood over him laughing that high pitched evil sound. His heart raced over being held down again and his eyes scanned the room quickly. He saw horrible looking instruments lined up on the other table, long silver knives and hooks. He began to shake with fear.

"Let's see how Severus saves you from this? You should never have put your trust into someone like him." Vespa got great joy over watching the boy hold back his fear and knew that she was pressing just the right buttons by the way the boy was reacting. She wanted to make him pay for all the wrongs Severus had dared to inflict on her.

Harry concentrated on making himself calm down; he didn't want Vespa getting any pleasure from his discomfort. He began to occlude his mind, building the walls Severus had taught him.

"Open your eyes boy! Look at me; I want to see the fear in your eyes when I tell you how you will die today!" Vespa grabbed hold of Harry's face with her long nails, leaving deep red scratches along his cheek.

When Harry looked her way he was temporarily blinded by a bright flash. He saw Vespa smile over the fright he showed as she took another picture of him.

Harry looked at her with hate filled eyes, knowing that he was trapped. He watched as the evil witch took hold of a whip with metal tips. He knew that she would beat him with it; he knew that he would suffer as he did with Vernon. But he vowed not to give her the satisfaction of seeing him cry out. He continued to occlude his mind, blocking out all feelings for Vespa, even the hate.

"I want you to know boy that you will pay for all that Severus has done. You will pay for his mistake in crossing me. When I am finished punishing you I will send him a nice memento of all that is left of you." Vespa smiled down on the unusually calm boy, vexed by his sudden composure.

Harry heard the wickedness pouring from Vespa's loathsome mouth and something odd occurred to him. He saw very clearly that Severus was not at fault for any of this, and that he was not at fault for any of this. The only one at fault was Vespa. The more Vespa spoke the clearer Harry saw that he was not to blame. He felt vindicated in a sense, he felt like he was set free from the responsibility of taking the blame. Before this moment he had actually thought he had brought the poison on himself. His uncle had drilled such horrible thoughts into his head that he felt responsible for all the bad things ever done to him. But just listening to Vespa speak about Severus made him see that no one but Vespa was making this happen.

He suddenly thought of something Severus had said to him once and everything came clear.

_Harry, stop thinking you are the cause for all things evil in this world._

He knew now what his father was trying to tell him but he couldn't let himself believe it before today.

His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Vespa raise her arm with the whip. He felt a ripple of magic course through his inner being. The magic crackled in the air and he watched as Vespa stopped and looked around. When nothing happened she raised her arm once again. Harry could feel the magic building within himself. It was bursting to be released and he had no control over what it would do next. With a feeling of euphoria he recognized the magical surge. This was exactly how he felt when he accidentally blew up Aunt Marge. He was almost excited to see what would happen next.

Vespa felt an odd magic in the room and looked to her house elf. She knew it wasn't the boy for he had no wand and was immobilized. She raised her arm higher intent on causing the most harm possible. As her arm came down an odd wave of magic burst forth and she was violently thrown back. The creatures in the glass slide to the floor as jars burst open pouring forth foul smelling liquid. The chandeliers shook and several fell crashing to the floor. Most of the cauldrons burst, sending hot liquid in all directions.

Vespa was hit with all sorts of vile smelling liquid. She grabbed her house elf and began screaming at him for causing such calamity.

Harry felt a warm magical glow blanket over him, protecting him from all the flying debris. The happiness over having the uncontrollable magic return made him smile. He felt so happy to have been able to protect himself at a time when he was sure he would be victim to another beating. His happiness spilled over and he laughed. He didn't mean to but he couldn't stop himself.

Vespa stopped yelling at the elf and gave her full attention to the boy. "What are you laughing at? Did you cause this to happen? Was this you're doing? You will be punished for that!" Vespa shook with anger as she cast a body bind on the boy. "I don't know how you did this but you will pay!"

Vespa released the bands and yelled out, "Locomotor!"

Harry felt himself floating on his back and could no longer move any part of his body. He went down a long dark stone hallway, past several wooden doors with heavy locks. He could hear the house elf following behind, mumbling profanities about him and spitting. When they came to a large door at the end of the hallway he heard the elf take a sharp breath in.

"Me no go in there Master! Me be a good elf."

Vespa turned with rage and grabbed the elf by the ear. "You'll go where I tell you!"

Harry's heart began to race again. Whatever was in that room scared the house elf silly. The poor thing was hanging on the doorframe refusing to go any further. Harry suddenly wished his uncontrollable magic would keep him from having to enter into that room. He heard a thud as the house elf was forced into the room and suddenly he was following right behind.

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Severus and Albus walked into the secret hide out to check on Charlet. She was still asleep and Dobby was pacing the floor. The room they had supplied for her was an exact replica of the room she had shared with Vespa at Snape Manor. It had all the creature comforts her heart desired along with any food she wished to order.

Dobby ran to them and begun to tell the Headmaster how the girl behaved badly.

"She be a bad witch Master! She demand to go homes but I tells her not yet. She throws everything Masters. Dobby had to fix all the broken bottles pretty vases!" Dobby grabbed his ears and pulled in his upset state.

Severus knew things were only going to get worse. He cast a sleeping spell on the girl and apparated back to Hogsmeade. He was anxious to get back to the school and see if Vespa had made contact yet.

Severus stayed awake all night long and never left his dungeons. He paced the floor knowing what lie ahead for his son. He couldn't get the image of Harry's look of betrayal out of his head, knowing he would do anything just to see the boy again. Damn it, why the bloody hell didn't he listen to his son? Why did he have to be so unyielding and let those old hags talk him into forcing Harry back into the infirmary! He didn't think he would ever be able to forgive those two witches for the horrible advice they gave him on punishments. He should have listened to his own intuition and called Molly to stay with Harry while he was at the ministry. If he was given a second chance with the boy he knew that things would be different.

Another chance to be a father to the boy he had opened his heart to seemed almost impossible at this point. Severus knew just how brutal Vespa could get and with the poison weakening Harry's body he could only hope that Harry could survive it. How did everything get this bad, how could he have put his son in this position? Leaving Harry helpless in the infirmary had been a huge mistake that the poor boy would pay for.

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Harry started to shake uncontrollably with fear of what he was about to face. As he floated into the room he was still on his back and couldn't see anything but the ceiling. He was lowered down and was surprised when he went further down than the floor. He suddenly knew he was in a deep pit in the ground. He was lowered another ten feet into a dark black hole, feeling himself hit the ground. Now he was laying on feces and something crinkly. The smell was awful and thick. He could hear odd voices hissing at him. Vespa turned the light up so he could see where he landed then removed the body bind.

"I'll be back later to see if you are still finding this situation to be humorous!" The witch gave Harry an malicious smile then shut the door on her way out with the elf close behind her.

Harry looked around … and almost started to laugh again. Then he did start to laugh. He blinked a few times to make sure he was seeing correctly and unsteadily sat up and looked around. The pit was filled with snakes! The pit looked to be dug straight into solid dark stone with the sides too smooth to climb out of. He watched as several snakes slithered towards him and was glad that feeling had returned to his limbs. He immediately stood up and said in parseltongue, "I am a friend. Pleasssse don't hurt me."

The largest snake about half the size of Nagini slithered up to Harry's feet. "You ssspeak our language."

Harry nodded and said, "Yesss, I wish to be friendssss."

"We are hungry yesssss." Harry thought the snake looked at him as if he were Christmas dinner.

Harry quickly replied, "I will get you ssssomething sssoon."

This seemed to make the snake happy for a little while and more snakes came forward to speak with him. He found out some had been in captivity their whole lives while others had recently been captured. Harry asked questions about any secret tunnels they may know of or any way for him to escape. One small black and red snake knew of a passage way in the laboratory that led out to the forest. Harry wasn't sure if he understood exactly where it was but felt a little better knowing that there might be a way out. He asked the little snake to wrap around his leg so the snake would be able to show him if he ever got the chance. The snake went willingly, happy for the warmth of the boy.

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Severus had just finished working on a potion that might come in handy when a lavender owl appeared on his work bench. He quickly grabbed the note, unrolling it with urgency.

The picture before him showed a frightened boy with deep scratches on his face. Severus couldn't stop looking at those deep green eyes, filled with fright and pain.

He finally turned the photo over and saw the short message:

_You have three hours to return Charlet_

The note was not signed nor had any indication on how they would make the switch. Severus quickly jotted down a note and tied it to Vespa's owl. The bird disappeared with a pop.

Severus had come up with a plan but it would all hinge on Vespa's response to his note. Now the waiting began again. He had to reach down to the darkest part of himself to complete his plan. It might mean the blood of an innocent child on his hands but he was willing to suffer those consequences if it meant getting Harry back.

He turned the photo over once again and looked into the eyes that would haunt his dreams forever.

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Vespa received her owl back but was furious with the response her nephew gave her. She read the note once again as the anger boiled within.

How dare her nephew demand anything! The nerve of the man to demand that they make the switch in a public place. She should just kill the boy and send his body back! But no, she needed Charlet back. She and the girl had made a blood oath to each other and Vespa needed the girl to remain unharmed. Although she thought Severus to be pathetic, she didn't put it past him to kill the girl out of revenge.

Vespa read the note again:

_Vespa,_

_It saddens me to have to play this reckless game at the cost of innocent children's lives. But since you insist I see no other option than to poison Charlet just as you have poisoned my son. I will give you one hour to send confirmation that Mr. Potter's blood is cleared of all poisons or I will be forced to poison your heir apparent. _

_I am willing to make the switch at Hogsmeade Leaky Cauldron in two hours. _

Of course the note was not signed but neither had Vespa signed her own note. Vespa knew there was no way to trick her nephew into thinking Potter was free from the curse. She would need to expel the poison from the boy's system and send a sample of his blood for Severus to check. She begrudgingly made her way down to the snake pit to retrieve the boy.

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Harry was sitting on the ground talking with his new friends when Vespa and the old elf opened the door to the room he was in.

Harry quickly said, "Friendssss we must fool the people coming. Pretend you are angry at me!"

The snakes complied and began to swarm around Harry, hissing and arching as if to attack.

Vespa leaned over the snake pit and saw the boy surrounded by angry snakes. She cackled at the sight before her, knowing the boy had learned a good lesson.

"So you nasty little beggar, did you learn your lesson?"

"Yes ma'am. I'll listen from now on," Harry said as he pretended to be afraid of the snakes hissing at him.

Vespa yelled at the old elf to get Harry out of there. The old elf lowered a rope and Harry began to climb it. The elf spit on Harry as he was climbing up, threatening the boy with nasty punishments to come. When Harry was just getting to the top, the old house elf stuck his hand out to help Harry up over the edge. Harry grabbed the offered hand and gave it a mighty tug. The house elf lost his balance and went hurtling over the edge and into the pit of snakes.

Harry knew he should feel remorseful but couldn't bring himself to evoke those feelings. That nasty elf deserved just what he got and Harry didn't give a hoot as to how Vespa felt about it.

Vespa was so angry she actually had to stop herself from pulling her wand out and killing the boy.

"What have you done? You will pay dearly for that!"

Harry was cast into another body bind and floated back to the laboratory. Now he was beginning to think that wasn't such a good idea. He was dropped down on a wooden table and magical bands snaked around his arms and legs.

Vespa stood beside him with a vial of green potion in her hand. "Open your mouth."

Harry clenched his teeth together not wanting to be poisoned further, trying to make the uncontrolled magic return.

Vespa shook her head and pulled forth a thin plastic tube. To Harry's horror she began to shove it up his nose. Harry couldn't move or stop the tube from going down his nose and into his throat. He gagged but Vespa wouldn't relent as the tube went down further. Vespa poured the potion down the tube until the vial was empty.

Harry was so frightened over what that potion would do to him. His mind raced as he felt a burning sensation in his stomach that got stronger and stronger. He felt like he might vomit but held back as the tube was blocking his airway now.

Vespa ripped the tube out of Harry's nose and laughed as blood followed. She saw the look of terror in the boy's eyes and smiled at him.

Harry couldn't hold back any longer and began to vomit. Suddenly the bands released him and he floated to a small dark room with a heavy door. The door slammed shut casting him into total darkness. He continued vomiting unable to stop himself and just wished he would pass out instead of enduring the pain he felt in his stomach. This was so much worse than the Crutiatus Curse. He could barely catch a breath before the next round of nausea overtook him. His heart pounded in his ears over what was happening to him. It felt as if his insides were being burned away and he remembered what Vespa had told him in Diagon Alley.

"You have no idea the power I hold over you at this moment, do you? If I refuse to give you the antidote you will die a slow horrible death by having your insides eaten away."

Oh Merlin! Was it happening? Did she give him a potion that was eating his insides away? It sure did feel that way! Where was Severus? Did he even know that Vespa had him yet?

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Severus prepared the poison using his own blood. The thought of poisoning Charlet repulsed him, making him turn off his emotions over the girl. He couldn't afford to go soft now or have a conscious. He had to think as a Death Eater would, not caring for anyone except himself and his son. The thought of his son in Vespa's care made him focus on what was important at the moment.

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Harry was exhausted, physically and emotionally exhausted. He felt another dry heave rising in his throat but didn't even have the energy to sit up. His stomach was raw as was his throat. He couldn't make any sounds other than a dry croak. His face was lying on the cold stone floor and he was shivering from the cold and pain. Just when he didn't think he could stand another minute of this torture the door swung open and light poured in.

"Scourgify!" Vespa hissed. It looked as if the boy had expelled all the poison in his system but she would check just to be sure. It wouldn't do to send the blood back to Severus with any remnants of poison still in the boys system. She had to keep Charlet safe at all costs. The plans she had for the girl were detrimental to her own future.

Harry saw all the vomit clear away and even his pajamas felt dry again. He thought he must have smelled so disgusting that Vespa had to cast a cleaning charm on him just to be in the same room he was in. He smelled his pajama sleeve and realized with horror that he smelled like lavender.

Harry felt himself float once again to the wooden workbench and began to shake as the magical bands snaked around his arms and legs again. If there had been anything left in his stomach it would come up over the fear he was feeling. He couldn't take anymore poison in his system, he just knew he wouldn't survive it.

Vespa watched as the boy's teeth chattered and hoped that he still believed she had poisoned him instead of doing just the opposite. She pulled out the longest, widest syringe she had and poked it into the boy's arm. The boy didn't make a sound or even flinch as she filled the syringe with his blood.

Harry watched in fear as Vespa took the syringe out. He wasn't frightened of needles, only of poison. He was almost relieved when he saw blood being drawn instead of poison being put in. He breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes.

Vespa checked the blood carefully. She was satisfied that all the poison had indeed been expelled and the boy was once again poison free. She called her owl to her, attaching the vial to its leg with a note to Severus.

Once the owl was gone she turned to the boy, "You killed my last house elf! Get up and clean this mess you caused!" Vespa threw a broom on the ground and a bucket with soap appeared.

Harry swung his legs over the side of the table and slid down. It took him a moment for the dizziness to pass but once it did he realized he felt pretty good. The poison Vespa gave him must not have had the effect she thought it would because he actually felt better than he had in a long time. His arm had healed from the Quiddich match and his stomach was hungry but didn't have those same sharp pains he'd been having for so long.

Harry saw Vespa reach for her whip and he quickly began cleaning up the mess on the ground with the broom.

Vespa sat in a quilted chair watching the boy act as a house elf would. She felt cleaning the lab would be a cruel but fitting punishment for the boy. She could only imagine how Charlet would react if she had been made to clean up this disgusting mess.

Harry continued cleaning, a little disturbed by the creepy creatures laying on the floor. He used the broom to scoop them into the magical bucket. As soon as anything was placed inside the bucket it dissappeared.

"Boy, this lab better be clean before I return. Don't try to do anything you shouldn't because I can see everything." She raised a mirror with Harry's own reflection in it."You have just become my new house elf!" Vespa laughed as she stalked out the door and locked it.

Harry smirked as he thought, "Hell, I've been a house elf my whole life! This is nothing."

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The lavender owl appeared in Severus' dungeon lab with a vial filled with blood.Severus painstakingly tested the blood sample. He was relieved beyond belief that the blood was clear of all poison.

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	34. Chapter 34 Ssnakes

34 - Sssnakes

Severus had been relieved to find the sample of Harry's blood to be poison free. He sat down heavily on the stool in his laboratory and took a deep breath. The thought of poisoning the girl with the same sort of poison used on Harry had bothered him more than he had thought possible. Knowing that he would not have to follow through with that brought a deep release. For the first time he saw himself as a completely different person than that of his Death Eater image, knowing full well that he had Harry to thank for such a big change in his ethics.

The more Severus thought about it the more he highly doubted that Vespa would just hand Harry over without some sort of trick. Most likely she would try to kill them both after she had possession of the girl. As these thoughts played out in his head he began to come up with a back up plan. He would need the help of Lupin. He was the only other person besides Dumbledore that he could truly trust to help him get Harry back. He had decided not to involve Dumbledore in the rescue; in case the plan failed he would need someone to save Harry.

Severus began to pull ingredients down from the shelves when he heard the doorbell. He looked at the magical picture frame on his wall and saw that it was Weasley and Granger.

Ron was just saying that maybe they should leave, when the door opened and Snape towered over them. He looked up at Snape's intimidating face wondering how his friend could live with such an abrasive guardian.

"Hi sir, we were wondering if we might be able to see Harry." Ron was actually grateful to have Harry's fears of the infirmary put to rest since he didn't have to recover there. Ron had witnessed Harry thrashing about in his bed the night of the ball and had heard Harry yelling about the infirmary.

"Harry is sleeping. He should not be disturbed," Snape gave them an intimidating stare to keep them from arguing further and tried to close the door.

Ron placed his hand on the door to keep it from closing, "Okay, we'll come back later, if that's okay? But, I'm glad you took him out of the infirmary after those horrible nightmares he was having. Please, just let him know we came to visit."

Snape opened the door wider, looking at Weasley through narrowed eyes, he asked, "What dreams?"

Ron shuffled his feet knowing he probably just revealed too much.

"I repeat what dreams?" Snape looked down a little more fiercely.

"I thought you knew? The night of the ball he had a horrible dream about being stuck in the infirmary. He must have woken up at least three times yelling for help, yelling for … you. He finally came down to see you, didn't he?" Ron felt miserable for being the one to disclose the nightmare but he had seen Harry wake up and leave.

Snape closed his eyes at the new information. He didn't say anything more as he closed the door on Harry's friends.

Sitting down heavily on the sofa he rubbed his forehead and was overcome with guilt. So, that had been the reason Harry had fought so hard to not go back to the infirmary. Why hadn't Harry told him about the nightmare? But would he of done anything differently even if he had heard about the dream? He knew that it probably would have swayed his decision about forcing Harry back. Even still, the guilt was overwhelming.

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Harry had just finished cleaning the floor when the small red and black snake slid down his leg. He looked in the other direction so Vespa would not notice the snake in her mirror.

"Do you remember where the tunnel issss to essscape?" Harry hissed out the side of his mouth.

The black snake stuck her tongue out tasting the air, "Yesss. You must move the ssshelf and you will find a tunnel." The snake moved under the shelf.

Harry glanced at the shelf the snake had slid under. It didn't look too heavy and maybe Vespa would think he was just cleaning underneath it if he got caught. He began to take some of the heavier objects off the shelf and place them on the workbench. Before he got any further he heard the locks on the laboratory door opening.

Harry quickly grabbed one of the objects and pretended to be cleaning it before placing it back on the shelf again.

Vespa walked into the room and looked around with utter dismay. The boy actually cleaned better than her house elves. Too bad she couldn't keep him and really use him as her house elf. It was almost a shame that he would need to die today.

"Get over here and kneel down," Vespa commanded. She watched the boy hesitate and raised her hand holding the whip. She still felt a little apprehension over what had happened earlier when she threatened the boy, but thinking it was just a fluke made her feel a little more confident.

Harry rushed over and forced himself to kneel before the vile witch, trying to make the uncontrolled magic come back. He was shocked out of his thoughts when Vespa grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked with a mighty tug. He bit his lip to hold back a scream as he felt a clump of hair ripped from his very scalp. Raising his hand to his head he felt a bloody patch of bald spot.

"Get up!" Vespa screeched and pushed Harry along, back into the dark cell he had expelled the poison in earlier.

Harry was pushed into the dark room that turned pitch black when the door was bolted shut. His heart raced as he knew his chance to escape had just vanished. Sitting down in the middle of the room he took deep breaths to calm his hammering heart.

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Snape went back down to his dungeon to continue brewing the polyjuice potion.

The plan would be risky but he didn't have any other choice. Lupin would need to take the polyjuice potion and become Snape when the exchange was made.

Snape would take a potion to transform into a small snake and stowaway in Charlet's cloak.

If Vespa double crossed them and didn't give Harry back then he would be in a good position to side-along-apparate with them back to Vespa's heavily warded estate. The biggest problem with the plan was knowing that he would not be able to bring his wand. He hoped he would be able to get Harry out of the estate and apparate both of them back to Hogsmeade. He was almost sure Vespa would not stick to her end of the bargain and the plan would need to be implemented.

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Vespa opened the heavily warded cabinet in the library. She pulled forth the glass sphere and carefully unlocked its power. She placed the sphere on the carpet with the tip pointing at herself. She tapped the sphere three times with her wand then pointed across the room. There standing before her was an exact replica of herself, right down to lavender boots she wore. Vespa circled the 'fake Vespa' poking her with her wand. The fake Vespa reacted by moving whatever part was touched with the wand. Vespa laughed at how real the copy felt and looked.

As soon as Vespa picked up the sphere from the table the fake Vespa disappeared. She felt a surge of triumph over outsmarting her nephew once again. She made her way down to the dungeon, ready to get a 'copy' of the Potter boy to bring with her to the Leaky Cauldron. There was absolutely no way she would even think of returning the real boy to her nephew. When she opened the door to the lab she was once again astounded at how well the boy had cleaned everything.

Harry was sitting in the cell with his back up against the wall and his knees bent thinking of Severus and the trick he had played on him. He was actually beginning to think that there would be no way for Severus to help him out of this situation and despair took hold. The locks on the door made loud scrapping sounds as they were pulled open, revealing a very unwelcome sight.

Vespa looked into the small musty room, spotting the boy against the wall. She put the sphere on the ground facing the boy then tapped it with her wand while reciting the spell.

Harry watched with trepidation, wondering what the sphere would do to him.

After a few more taps Vespa leaned down to retrieve the sphere once again. Harry thought this might be his last chance for escape and sprang up onto his feet heading for the door. Vespa stood up quickly pointing her wand at him.

"Crucio!" Vespa hissed and watched as the boy fell to the floor, withering in pain. She left the spell on as long as she dared. It wasn't quite time for the boy to die … yet.

Harry felt as if every bone in his body was being crushed and his insides twisted like a wet rag being wrung out. He screamed silently since his voice had long been lost to vomiting earlier that day. The noises that escaped his throat sounded horrible to even his own ears. When he felt the curse released he could do nothing but lay silently on the floor, quivering with the after effects.

"Stupid, stupid boy! I should have known you would try something like that." Vespa hovered the boy back to the middle of the room, releasing him to a harsh fall to the ground.

Before Harry could attempt to sit up the door to the cell was closed with a bang. He heard the bolts being locked once again. Resigned to suffer all the wrath that Vespa had to offer he closed his eyes and tried to think of what it would be like when he met his parents once again.

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Severus had sent an owl to retrieve Lupin earlier and now watched as the man sat down in the living room. He hated to admit how tense he was feeling at the thought of revealing all that had happened to Harry this past summer. Judging from the reaction the werewolf had given when Harry had disappeared a few weeks ago, Severus knew this would be an ugly scene. But there was no one else he trusted with the task at hand, no one else who felt as he did for the boy.

"Lupin, I called you out here today because I need help with something very important, something involving Harry," Severus cleared his throat before continuing. "Harry has been abducted by my aunt and is being held at her estate as we speak."

Lupin quickly stood up, "What? What the bloody hell is going on Severus? What sort of nasty Death Eater stuff do you have him involved in?" He took a threatening step towards the professor.

Snape sneered down at the werewolf's attempted aggression. "Lupin, calm yourself or I will not continue." He waited patiently as he watched the man take a few breaths and return to his seat.

"This has nothing to do with the Dark Lord. Vespa is my aunt and she wishes to inherit the estates my family left for me … which will be passed down to Harry at some point. She was against the adoption from the beginning and is now attempting to manipulate the inheritance. She thinks that if Harry is gone then upon my death the estate would go to her." He raised his hand as he saw Lupin rise to his feet again.

"Severus no! How could you put Harry into such danger? And for what … money!"

"Lupin sit down and let me finish!" Snape rubbed his face in frustration. "Calm down, I also have something of hers. Something that will keep Harry from his demise … for the time being. I have kidnapped Vespa's heir apparent and she is being held at a secret location." Snape watched the werewolf's look of fright turn to one of contempt.

"Before you pass judgment on me, think about this … without the girl's capture, Harry would be dead already. We have agreed to meet at the Leaky Cauldron today to make the switch. Vespa is not to be trusted and I require your help. Now may I count on you?"

Lupin covered his face with his hands, "Of course Severus, I'll do anything to save that boy. He is really all that I have left of the past now." Lupin rose up from the sofa stepping closer to Snape. "I just don't understand how you could have let this happen though. Has it even occurred to you how important that boy is, not only to me but to the entire Wizarding World? You are not fit to parent him. I knew harm would come to him if you got custody! I told Dumbledore not to let it happen but he insisted your feelings had changed and, I being too trusting believed the old fool. Now Harry is paying for my trust in you!"

"Lupin, you saw him after he returned from the Dursley's. You saw his body beaten to a pulp. Where the hell were you for all those years he suffered at the hands of his family? Why didn't you make sure he was safe? You disgust me! No one watched out for that boy until I saved him. I alone brought him out of that mess!"

Lupin took another threatening step towards Snape, "Yes, you saved him alright! How safe is Harry right now?"

Snape's shoulders slumped at that statement, knowing full well it was true. The guilt was almost unbearable.

Lupin went on, "Don't you tell me that I didn't care enough to want to raise that boy as my own Snape. You know the ministry wouldn't give me custody. I tried!"

"Lupin, we do not have time to argue about this." Snape stood directly in front of Lupin before asking the important question, "Are you willing to take polyjuice potion and act as if you are me?"

Lupin looked up at him with shock but nodded his consent.

"Very well, then let me go over the plan with you in detail."

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Vespa arrived at the Leaky Cauldron early and secured a room for the exchange. She went up the rickety staircase and opened the door to the large bedroom. Looking around for a place to hide the sphere she decided on a corner by the bed. The 'fake Harry' had to be far enough away to allow time to grab Charlet before her stupid nephew found out the truth. She knew it wouldn't take Severus long to figure out that Harry was not really in the room. But if all went well, then it should be plenty of time to take hold of Charlet and apparate away.

Vespa went back to the sphere and tapped it while reciting the spell. The 'fake Harry' appeared as he did in the cell. He was sitting on the floor leaning up against the wall but this time he was in the room at the Leaky Cauldron. Vespa poked him on the arm with her wand and watched as the boy flinched then moved his arm around. It was too bad that this Harry couldn't talk but only move his limbs after being prodded to do so. No matter, it would be enough to fool her nephew.

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Snape approached the sleeping girl and cast another spell to make sure she would not overhear the conversation. He handed the beaker of polyjuice potion over to Lupin.

Lupin hesitated but another look at the sleeping girl made him realize what was at stake. He downed the entire contents of the beaker with one gulp. Within seconds he felt himself begin the transformation. An uncomfortable feeling such as snakes under his skin began. He felt his nose and face transform and the feeling of becoming taller made him gasp. He stepped over to the floor length mirror with unease, steadying himself for what he looked like now. The shock was sudden as he saw the face and body of Severus. He put his hands up to his face and the mirrored image did the same. It was so odd to see himself like that, eerie almost.

"Well, what do you think?" Lupin turned towards the professors.

Snape didn't reply but watched his double closely; looking for any signs Vespa may pick up on to alert her that it was not really him. After studying Lupin for a few minutes he decided that he was close enough in mannerisms.

Now it was time for Severus to be transformed into a snake. Severus thought it best if he knelt down before drinking the potion. The effect was immediate and he began to transform into a small black snake.

Lupin picked up Charlet's cloak and used his wand to open a space between the lining and velvet. Snape slithered into the space and turned back around so just his snake head was poking out the opening.

Lupin put the cloak back on Charlet then pulled his wand out and woke the sleeping girl.

Charlet sat up with a start. She looked around at the oddly familiar bedroom before remembering that she had been kidnapped. She quickly scrambled out of the bed and was shocked to see Cousin Severus standing in the corner.

"Calm down child. No one will hurt you," Lupin heard himself say in Snape's voice.

"Why am I here? You just wait until Vespa finds out what you've done Severus! I'm going to tell her to throw you into the snake pit as punishment!" Charlet screamed. She searched around the room for a door but when she didn't see one she opted to start throwing things. She grabbed a mirror off the dresser and threw it at Lupin.

Lupin ducked out of the way and the mirror smashed on the wall behind him. He didn't see the heavy perfume bottle in time and it hit him in the mouth. Lupin leveled his wand at the irate girl and she suddenly froze with her arm still up and her hand grasping a silver hairbrush.

"Do not even think about doing that," Lupin hissed in his best imitation of the Potion Master.

Charlet slowly lowered her arm and placed the hairbrush back on the dresser.

"I hate you Severus! Take me back to Auntie Vespa this very instant or I'm going to scream!" Charlet stamped her foot in a fit of rage and crossed her arms in front of her with a pout.

"That is what I was planning on doing before you so rudely threw the perfume bottle at me," Lupin replied as he wiped away the blood on his lip. "Now if you cooperate and do everything I say, then I will take you back to your Aunt. Do you agree to follow my instructions?"

Charlet looked as if she might argue but thinking better she changed her mind and said, "Fine."

"We are going to apparate to the Leaky Cauldron together. Then you will walk quietly with me to a room that Vespa will be waiting in. If you so much as make one step out of line I will apparate us back here. Do you understand?" Lupin waited for the girl to nod before taking hold of her arm.

Lupin waved his wand over the room to remove the wards blocking any escape. He took hold of Charlet's arm and arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Lupin quickly glanced around making sure Vespa had not set a trap.

Tom came up to them with a key. Lupin took it without saying anything and made his way with Charlet up the stairs. Just before opening the door to the room Lupin checked to see that the snake hidden in Charlet's cloak was still there. He saw the small black head sticking out the hole. He slowly opened the door placing Charlet behind him in case of attack. He stopped just inside the room keeping Charlet in the hallway with one hand around her wrist. Vespa was standing in a corner with Harry sitting on the floor at her feet. Harry looked tired but not harmed too badly, other than the scratches on his face.

As instructed by Severus he asked the boy a question that only Harry would know the answer to.

"Harry, who tied Neville Longbottom's tie for the ball?" Lupin had hardly believed the Potion Professor when he was told the answer to that question. He looked towards Harry and saw Vespa poke him with her wand. He watched as the boy flinched but didn't answer the question.

Vespa stood straighter and said, "He is instructed not to say anything until I have seen my niece."

Lupin pulled the girl into the room but didn't take his hand off her wrist. He looked towards Harry again and said, "Harry answer my question." He watched Vespa poke the boy again but Harry still didn't answer.

Vespa spoke up, "He is instructed not to talk until I have made sure Charlet has not been harmed." Vespa began to walk towards Lupin and Charlet but Lupin quickly pushed the girl behind him.

"Auntie please! I want to go home," Charlet whined as she tried to step around Lupin.

"No Vespa, you are not to touch her until Harry answers the question!" Lupin stood between Vespa and her niece.

"Harry! Answer my question now!" Lupin yelled in his most terrifying Snape voice. He watched the boy sit without emotion, without moving. The boy had the same look on his face that had been there since Lupin walked in, never changing expressions. It didn't seem right to Lupin, something was definitely wrong with Harry.

"Harry! I'll not ask again!" Lupin screamed as Vespa approached without stopping. Harry sat still without emotion.

Lupin let go of Charlet for a moment and ran towards the boy yelling out, "That is not Harry!"

Vespa lunged towards her niece just as Charlet reached her hand towards her aunt. The connection was made and in a split second Vespa and Charlet disappeared. Lupin was left in the room with Harry sitting against the wall. He walked towards the boy with caution, ready for a trap. He knelt down next the boy and ran his fingers down Harry's cheek. The boy felt real but didn't act as if he was coherent of his surroundings.

Lupin stepped around to the other side of Harry, tripping over a glass sphere on the ground. He bent to pick it up and as soon as the sphere was lifted off the ground, the image of Harry disappeared. Lupin stood up in shock still holding onto the glass sphere, knowing that Snape was now their only hope.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Charlet and Vespa apparated straight into the living room, bypassing all the wards. As soon as Charlet knew she was home she crumbled onto the ground.

"Why did Severus kidnap me? Vespa if you don't punish him and that horrible boy I will never talk to you ever again! Where the hell is the house elf!" When she quieted down enough Vespa stepped closer and pulled her up into an embrace.

"Hush my darling, you are safe now. Vespa is here to take care of you now." Vespa ran her fingers down the girl's hair while patting her on the back.

"I want revenge Vespa! How could you just hand over that filthy creature to Severus? Potter is the one that gave me the portkey necklace," Charlet shouted at her aunt.

Vespa had wondered how Charlet was taken from the school but never suspected the boy had anything to do with it. "When did he give you a necklace?"

Charlet quickly shut her mouth as she came up with a good lie to tell her aunt. She didn't want to suffer her Aunt's wrath for leaving the school grounds to go on a date with Potter. "He sent it to me. I thought he was just being nice after our visit at Severus' house. How was I supposed to know it was a portkey?"

Vespa was infuriated! The stupid boy would pay. "Well then, I have a surprise waiting for you in the dungeon."

"Surprise? What is it Auntie!" Charlet bounced on her toes in excitement.

"I'm going to let you decide how we will punish Potter," Vespa waited until Charlet looked her in the eyes before continuing, "Potter is locked inside the dungeon cell. That image of Potter back at the Leaky Cauldron was a fake. The real Potter is suffering the after effects of the Cruciatus as we speak."

Snape was still in snake form, hiding in the lining of Charlet's cloak and could hear every word spoken. When he heard that his son was suffering from the Cruciatus it took every ounce of willpower not to turn back into his human form and go rescue Harry. He knew that Vespa had more power than he did simply because he didn't have a wand to defend himself. He would need to be very careful not to be caught.

Vespa led her niece down the stairs and through the dungeon. When they reached the cell door she opened it using her wand. Severus could see directly into the dark cell now. There was a figure lying on the floor that twitched and spasmed every few seconds. With utter horror Severus knew that it was Harry.

"Get up you loathsome creature!" Vespa hissed and kicked the boy on the side of the head.

Harry pushed himself up slowly, still squinting from the light. He stood up unsteadily putting his hand against the wall for balance. When he realized Charlet was standing before him, his breath suddenly hitched. This could mean only one thing that Severus had failed to save him.

"You're a filthy liar Potter! You deceived me!" Charlet yelled and slapped Harry across the face with force.

Harry looked down at the floor, knowing that Severus was probably dead or locked up in Azkaban, otherwise Charlet wouldn't be here. He didn't really care what happened to him anymore. With the loss of another parent, life was too bleak to think about living.

Vespa pushed Harry back against the wall before yelling, "Crucio!"

Charlet watched as Harry thrashed about making odd moaning noises. For some reason it bothered her to see him like that. "Stop it! Make it stop Vespa!"

Vespa quit the curse and turned towards her niece. "I thought you wanted the boy to pay, my dear?"

Charlet turned away from the tremor filled boy on the ground before saying, "I do, but not like that. I need to take a bath and change." Charlet turned to walk out of the dungeon just as Snape slid out of her cloak.

Snape slithered over to the wall, hoping no one would spot him. He had to stay well hidden until Vespa left the dungeons.

Vespa took another look at the quivering boy on the ground before stalking out of the cell and locking the door once again.

Snape watched as his Aunt followed Charlet out of the dungeon. As soon as the dungeon door closed he recited a spell in his head and transformed back into his human form. He looked at the locks on the cell door with dread; they could only be opened by a wand. Severus rushed out to the lab and after a few minutes of searching found the potions he was looking for. It only took him another few moments to mix the ingredients together.

He went back to the cell door and yelled out, "Harry move away from the door!" He hoped the boy had the strength to follow the order. He pushed the gummy potion into the locks using a knife and watched as the metal began to melt.

With the locks liquefied now, Snape kicked the cell door open. He found Harry huddled in a corner, quivering with the after effects of the Cruciatus.

"Son, I'm here. Come now we must leave before Vespa returns," Snape was almost too emotional to speak at the sight of his boy in such a horrible state.

Harry tried to stand with the help of his father's steady hand. The room spun but he was overcome with joy that he was still alive. He fell against Severus, holding him tight. Harry felt his father kiss him on the top of his head before he was led out the cell door and collapsed onto the floor in the hallway.

Severus scooped his son up relieved that he was still alive.

"Harry we must find a way out before Vespa returns."

Harry started to speak but his voice was so raw it didn't sound like words or even whispers. He grabbed his father's chin and looked him in the eyes.

Snape understood what his son wanted him to do. He looked deeply into his son's eyes, using Legilimens to see into his thoughts.

A flash of snakes swarmed around Harry a small black snake with red stripes the shelf in the corner of the dungeon - atunnel!

Severus pulled his thoughts away knowing what his son was trying to tell him. He placed Harry on the floor then moved the heavy shelf over with ease. Down low on the wall he saw a grate covering an opening about two feet by three feet wide. He pulled the grate off and bent down to look within. It seemed to be a tunnel leading outside. The tunnel appeared to be quite long, maybe too long for the boy to maneuver through in his poor condition. He glanced at his son, wondering how he could help him through the narrow tunnel.

Harry understood what his father was thinking. He made his way over to the tunnel and began to drag himself through the opening, using his arms to scoot through.

Severus quickly followed, barely able to fit in the narrow opening. It was slow going as Harry struggled to keep from losing consciousness. When he finally reached the opening he let himself fall to the ground outside. He tried to stand but his body would not let him. The effort it had taken just to make it through the tunnel had been too great. He leaned up against the wall taking deep breaths while he waited for Severus to join him.

Severus toiled to make it out of the opening and landed awkwardly on the ground. He stood up and surveyed the land. This was the side of the property that was not landscaped but covered in heavy brush. About a hundred yards to the left was a dense forest of evergreens. Severus knew that if they could make it to the forest they would be able to apparate out of here. He looked down at his son with concern. The boy's breath was coming in shallow gulps and he was shaking violently now. The energy expended to get to this point had not been good for him.

He knelt down in front of Harry, lifting his chin and looking into his eyes. "Hang on Harry, we're almost there," Severus said in a quiet voice as he watched his son struggle to breathe. He easily lifted his son in his arms and walked towards the forest.

Severus had taken only a few steps before an alarm sounded with a piercing cry. He looked to his left and saw a pack of animals running towards them. Severus ran as quickly as he could through the rough brambles while still carrying his son.

Harry looked back and saw the odd creatures chasing them. He could see they were black with dog like bodies but a head like a vulture. Their eyes were red and glowing and when the beak opened he could see teeth inside. He wished he could relieve his father and get down and run but knew he would slow them down even more.

Severus could hear the animals getting closer; he could feel his son tense up as they approached. He tried to apparate but the barrier surrounding the estate stopped him. Just another twenty feet before he made it to the forest and then they could leave this horrible place.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Vespa stood at her niece's bedroom window watching her nephew trying to flee. She was shocked he was even there and had made it past the barriers. She knew he would never be able to outrun the beautiful creatures she had so brilliantly created. It warmed her heart to see them running frantically as the animals caught up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Severus was just steps away from the forest when he felt a sharp pain rip at his shoulder. One of the animals had jumped on him from behind and now had its sharp teeth sunk into his shoulder. The pain ripped through him and he lost his balance. He felt his son tumble out of his arms just as he felt his knees hit the ground.

Harry went flying out of his father's arms, landing against an old log. He scrambled up quickly, trying to find something to beat the animal off his father's back with. His head spun and he couldn't see straight as he ran towards the animal empty handed. He reached out and pulled the animals fur with as much strength as he had left.

The animal let go of Severus and turned its attention on Harry. Harry saw the beast open its beak with the double rows of razor sharp teeth. He covered his face just as the animal lunged at him and sunk its teeth into his hand. The pain emanating from his hand was excruciating.

Severus jumped up as fast as he could, trying to get to his son. Just as he reached the beast attacking Harry something incredible transpired.

Harry saw the other beasts catching up with Severus' back towards them. He began to panic at the thought of his father being attacked from behind by three of those beasts. Suddenly he felt the familiar magical sensation building within. He felt the magical power build as if in slow motion until it could not be contained any longer. The magical surge pushed forth in a blinding white light causing the beast to release its grip on his hand and step back. All four of the strange animals began to cry out in a strangled screech as they puffed up with air. When the air filled them to capacity they floated in the air for a second before bursting into millions of pieces. Bloody black and red pieces of the beasts covered the field.

Harry suddenly wondered if Aunt Marge would have burst if not for the Ministry saving her. The last thing Harry remembered was his father picking him up and carrying him over his shoulder with his one good arm.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Vespa stood at her window watching the horrible scene play out before her. The sight of her beautiful creatures exploding and her stupid nephew caring the boy to freedom filled her with rage!

XXXXXXXXXXX

TBC


	35. Chapter 35 P B & J

35 - P B & J

Severus struggled with his one unharmed arm to lift Harry up over his shoulder. Once he finally managed to balance his son and lift him, he headed out to the forest. Just as he stepped into the heavily wooded area he felt the barrier from the estate cease to have a hold on his magic. He quickly apparated himself with his unconscious son back to an alley at Hogsmeade. The apparition took more out of him than he had to give. The bite from the vicious beast was blazing with pain and fogged his conscious thoughts. He struggled to keep Harry from falling off his shoulder.

Severus pulled a brick from the side of the building, revealing a stick. He held it up,pointing it at the school way up on the hill and shot out a red bolt of light. He waited for the signal from Albus that the wards had been lowered and he could apparate himself and his son into the school. Albus had devised this emergency apparition signal last year when Severus had come back from Death Eater meetings barely able to walk. Usually he would apparate straight into the infirmary but knowing how his son felt about that place made him come to the conclusion that he would apparate into his dungeon quarters.

He saw the yellow light shoot up from the school and knew it was safe to apparate into his quarters. It took all that was left of his energy but he found himself sprawled out on the floor with his son by his side in the dungeon quarters. Standing up and making his way over to his black bag, he pulled out a potion that would stop the poison from spreading from the horrendous bite on Harry's hand. He knelt down next to Harry and tilted his head back. Once the potion was down Harry's throat, Severus took another of the same potion out for himself. He swallowed the potion knowing that it would be a day or two for the poison to run its course.

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Harry woke up in a fog. He saw the fire in the grate and felt the comfortable bed he was in. He knew he wasn't in the cell any longer. It sounded as if someone was in the room with him but he couldn't hear them through the fog. Someone put a glass of something to his mouth and forced him to drink. It could have just been water but Harry didn't stay awake long enough to figure that out.

XXXXXXXXX

Voices could be heard as if through a tunnel. When Harry cracked his eyes open he saw two figures standing by his bed. They were talking about him in a way that made him think he might be worse off than he thought. He heard Lupin's voice raised and angry, then he thought he heard his father's deep voice, but he couldn't be sure. The fog wouldn't lift and his throat felt like it was on fire. Someone came to his side and the argument stopped suddenly. He felt his head being lifted and a glass pressed to his lips. Harry tried to refuse the drink but whoever it was wouldn't take no for an answer. He finally swallowed the minty tasting water and fell back into another deep sleep.

XXXXXXXX

Harry woke up in a warm bed with a roaring fire in the grate. Memories of his time spent with Vespa came flooding back and he squeezed his eyes closed for a moment. The memory of the Cruciatus being cast on him, the memory of the poison, the memory of Severus being attacked by the dog/vulture thing, all those terrifying memories flooded his thoughts. It took a few minutes to sort through everything and realize that the ordeal was over.

"Harry are you in pain?" Severus had left a moment ago to walk the Headmaster out. When he walked back into Harry's bedroom he saw the boy looking as if he were having a panic attack, breathing hard and closing his eyes.

Harry opened his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. He saw a heavy bandage and sling on his father's arm. He started to ask if Severus was okay but the sound that came from his throat sounded more like a croak. He cleared his throat and tried again, "How's your shoulder?"

Severus stepped closer to the bed, trying to decipher what his son had just asked and handed him a glass of water. He watched as his Harry took small sips.

Harry saw the look of confusion on his father's face and asked again, "How's your shoulder?"

This time Severus understood but was concerned over the way Harry's voice was still so raw, even after all the potions.

"I'm fine. The shoulder is almost finished healing. The more important question is how do you feel without that poison running through your system? " Severus sat on the edge of his son's bed, reaching for his hand to see how the bite from the beast was healing.

"I actually feel pretty good. But what do you mean by the poison being gone now? When Vespa gave me that potion, was it to get rid of the poison?"

Severus raised en eyebrow, "I assume so. You may rest assured that you are indeed free of poison. I required it from her before agreeing to the exchange."

Harry felt relief over hearing that. He watched Severus unwrap his hand. The wound looked ugly but it hardly hurt at all. "How long have I been sleeping?"

Severus applied healing cream then rewrapped the wounded hand with fresh gauze as he answered, "You have actually been asleep for three days." He watched as his son had a look of surprise at that. "It seems that the beast that bit you and I had a venomous bite. It took me a full day to recover from the after effects. The only reason it took you a bit longer is because you are also recovering from so many other injuries as well. Perhaps you might be able to explain that bald patch on your head?"

Harry raised his hand to feel the bald spot on the front of his head, "I don't know why she did that. She told me to kneel in front her then just ripped my hair out." Harry watched his father's look of concern turn to one of anger.

"Vespa will be dealt with," Severus said sternly then abruptly stood up and excused himself.

Severus paced out in the living room trying to get his anger under control. He found himself doing that every time he thought of Vespa harming his son. She would pay dearly for all the pain she had caused Harry. Now that Harry was free of the poison there was no reason why he couldn't find her and kill her. In fact he knew it had to be done if Harry was to stay safe. After a few moments he heard Harry calling for him in that unsettling scratchy voice and he went back into his son's bedroom.

"What's wrong Severus?" Harry asked as he started getting out of bed to take a much needed shower.

"Nothing is wrong," Severus stated in a harsher tone than intended. "Where are you going?"

"I smell like lavender and I can't remember the last time I took a shower."

"I would have to agree with you on that. I have cast several cleaning charms on you while you were recovering but the scent of lavender has not ceased as of yet. Perhaps a hot bath is in order?" Severus helped his trembling son into the bathroom.

Harry was bothered by the sudden bouts of shaking that continued, even though he was feeling so much stronger. "Severus, why am I shaking like this?"

Severus settled his son on the edge of the bathtub and began to fill the tub with water. "You are suffering from the after effects of the Cruciatus Curse. How long do you believe Vespa held it on you?" He knew that the after effects of that curse usually vanished after a day at most, especially with all the potions Harry was taking.

"I don't know but it felt like a lot longer than when Voldemort held it on me. At least the first time it felt longer, the second time wasn't so bad though."

Severus remembered the strangled screams coming from his son's mouth when the second Cruciatus had been cast. The thought that Vespa had tortured him longer than Voldemort had only added to his fury at the woman. He tried to control his emotions while he was in Harry's presence, though it was hard.

Harry watched the look of fury flit across his father's face and thought maybe he shouldn't talk about Vespa anymore. The last thing he wanted was for Severus to go after that bitch and get stuck in Azkaban.

Severus stood up, straightening his robes before saying in all seriousness, "Harry, from this point forward you will begin to have the experiences of a normal sixteen year old."

"Sounds good to me." Harry said as he stood up and begun removing his pajamas, trying not to think of the prophecy that would prevent that.

Severus sat down on the edge of the tub and helped his son get in the bath. The boy almost slipped as he stepped over the edge of the tub.

Harry sunk into the warm soapy water, feeling the smell of Vespa wash away.

"You know something? My uncontrolled magic came back," Harry said with a grin.

"I should say so! That is what saved us from those horrid beasts. It was actually quite spectacular to witness. I do not believe I have seen anything like that before. Why do you suppose it came back at that point?" Severus asked and handed Harry a fresh bar of soap and wash rag.

"That wasn't the first time. The first time was when Vespa tied me up and was going to beat me with this whip that …"

Harry was startled as Severus unexpectedly stood up and faced him with a fierce look on his face. Harry clamped his mouth shut and sunk further into the bubbles. Severus excused himself and left the bathroom abruptly. Yeah, maybe he shouldn't talk about Vespa anymore.

Harry stuck his toe in the water faucet as he thought about Charlet. Charlet had actually stopped Vespa from holding the Cruciatus on him longer than he knew she would have. It made him feel a little guilty over having to trick her with the portkey. The thought of being poison free felt good though, good enough to justify tricking Charlet. It felt so nice to be free from having to take the antidote and suffer through the stomach pains.

After the hot bath Harry felt invigorated. He dressed in a pair of jeans and soft blue sweater before going out to find his father.

Severus was still pacing in the living room when Harry walked in and looked at him with apprehension. He stopped pacing as he looked his son over. The boy looked to be better than he had been in a long time. Other than the occasional shivers and the wrapped hand he seemed to be alright. Although he did look quite thin. Severus remembered that the boy had nothing but supplemental nutrients in the past three days and probably nothing the day before that.

"You need to eat," Severus said in a stern voice.

Harry was feeling a bit famished, he couldn't even remember the last meal he had eaten. "Yeah I am a bit hungry. Do you think Dobby could bring me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

Severus looked as if Harry had just asked for the moon. Harry explained what the sandwich was and called Dobby up. Dobby seemed to know all about pb&j and popped back with the sandwich and a glass of milk, leaving it on the coffee table. They both sat down on the sofa with Severus looking at the sandwich as if it was an unknown potion. Harry handed Severus a piece of his sandwich, which put a sneer on the Potion Master's face.

"Just try it Dad," Harry prompted with a mischievous grin.

The part where Harry said 'Dad' pushed Severus into actually trying the ghastly piece of food. He popped the piece of sandwich into his mouth and thought it tasted rather horrid. "You actually enjoy eating this?"

"Yup, it's good," Harry said as he finished the first half. "So any signs of Vespa yet?"

Severus was unsettled over the sudden change in conversation, "No, we have not seen any sign of her. This brings me to a topic I must discuss with you."

Harry put his milk down and looked at his father's serious expression.

"Albus and I have met with the Order members to fill them in on the entire events you have suffered. I felt it best that more people know what happened in case you need their help at some point. It will also help with capturing Vespa to stand trial for all that she has done to you."

Harry was glad that everyone now knew what had happened to him because that meant he could talk to his friends about it. "Can I tell my friends now?"

"Yes, I feel that they should know. I want them to be on their guard where you are concerned," Severus said as he handed the other half of the sandwich to his son.

"Can I ask them to come over?" Harry asked as he ate.

"Yes, you _may _ask them down for a visit," corrected Severus. "I will be down in the laboratory trying to catch up on all the potions I am behind on. I'll come up to check on you in a bit." Severus gave his son one last assessing look before heading down to the laboratory.

Harry called Dobby back and asked him to get Ginny, Ron and Hermione and bring them down for a visit. Within ten minutes he heard a knock on the door.

"Hi guys, come on in," Harry opened the door then stepped back to let them in. They all gave him a hug as they passed by, even Ron much to Harry's shock.

They walked in somewhat tentatively, looking around for the professor.

"Severus is in the lab," Harry said to put them at ease. "Pumpkin juice?" Harry offered the pitcher to Hermione and held up his bandaged hand to show that he wasn't able to pour. She poured everyone a glass full and handed them out before Harry spoke up.

"Um well, it's good to see you guys," Harry started. He saw the looks of concern over his scratchy voice.

Ron cut him off before he could begin his story, "Harry what's wrong with your hand and why did Professor Snape keep us from visiting you? We tried sneaking in but he caught us and sent us to detention with Filch for a week!"

Harry raised his eyebrows over that, "Oh sorry. I'll talk to him about that. He's just being a little over protective right now."

Ron jumped in again, "He's doesn't have to protect you from us! Bloody hell Harry, who does he think has been watching out for you these past five years!"

A cold silky voice cut in, "I am well aware of your dedication to each other Mr. Weasley. However, I will not put up with students sneaking in through the floo without express permission."

Ron nearly jumped out of his skin at hearing that voice from behind him. "Oh hi Sir. Yeah, sorry bout that."

Severus nodded at the Gryffindor and walked over to Harry, handing him a vial of something blue. Harry drank without question and handed the vial back. "But did you have to send them to Filch for detention?"

"As I have warned you previously Harry, whatever punishment I see fit to give is not of your concern," Snape said in a warning tone.

"Yeah, but Filch? Jeez Severus, you should have just given them lines or something," Harry said accusingly.

"It's alright Harry," Hermione said under her breath. Ron shook his head trying to make Harry shut up.

"Lines?" Snape said and looked over at his son's friends as they to looked away.

Harry suddenly thought he might have made a mistake suggesting that. "Or maybe not lines. Maybe just forget they even did it. They were just trying to make sure I was okay." Harry was overcome with a shiver as the after effects of the Cruciatus still were not letting up. He wrapped his arms around his chest hoping to hide the shudder as it passed.

Severus breathed deeply, pushing his anger at Vespa down at the sight of Harry still suffering because of her. "I hope they realize that I only have your best interest at heart and wish you no harm."

Severus watched Harry's friends squirm, then addressed them directly. "Nevertheless, two nights with Mr. Filch may suffice as a punishment. I will inform Mr. Filch that you have served your detention adequately as long as I have your word that you will not attempt that particular exploit again?"

Both Ron and Hermione said, "Yes sir."

"Have you had a chance to explain yet?" Severus asked his son. Harry shook his head, hoping to be able to do it without his father's presence. He wasn't sure how Ron was going to react over hearing about how Snape's aunt had poisoned him.

"Very well, I will leave you to your narrative." He walked out with one last stern look at Weasley.

As soon as the laboratory door closed Ron spoke up, "Bloody hell Harry, you have more power than I thought! Snape actually listened to you!"

"I think he's just feeling bad about what happened, is all. I'm not sure I can get us out of anymore detentions in the future."

"Alright already, what the bloody hell did happen!" Ginny asked, tired of waiting to hear.

"Um, alright then," Harry couldn't believe how nervous he was over telling his friends about everything. He wasn't sure if he was nervous over the reaction to Vespa or most likely their reaction to his father. He didn't want them to be mad at Severus for something that wasn't his fault.

He cleared his throat before starting again, "Okay, let me just tell you everything before you ask any questions. Snape's aunt poisoned me over the summer. She didn't want Severus to adopt me because she wanted to keep all the inheritance to herself and Charlet. Severus tried to give her the inheritance she wanted in exchange for the antidote to the poison but she said it wouldn't work. Then she stopped sending the antidote and I would have died if Severus hadn't of come up with another antidote but it wasn't strong enough and I needed the real one. So, Severus kidnapped Charlet in exchange for the antidote. That was the only reason I went to the dance with her." He stopped here to look at Ginny's reaction. He noticed all three friends looking at him with their mouths hanging open so he continued.

"So anyway Vespa had this guy summon Dumbledore and Severus to the ministry and then she came here and kidnapped me. Anyway, Vespa tricked Severus during the exchange and he had to come save me at her estate. We escaped out of the dungeon and we were attacked by this vulture dog thingy's and that's how I got this." Harry raised his bandaged hand. "So now the Order has to try and find Vespa before she comes after me again."

Ginny spoke up first, "What does going to the dance have to do with kidnapping Charlet?"

"I had to give her a portkey necklace that would take effect the next day. It was the only way to get her off school grounds without causing suspicion. I didn't want to go with her and …" He was going to say he didn't want to kiss her but was embarrassed to say it in front of his other friends.

"So then, all that kissing wasn't real?" Ginny asked hopefully.

Harry looked her in the eyes when he answered truthfully, "I hated every minute of it."

Ginny blushed as she smiled.

Ron was having trouble understanding the story but finally asked, "What's with this inheritance stuff. I mean how big is this estate that she wants? How rich is Snape?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "It's pretty big but that's not the point, I don't even want it Ron."

Hermione seemed to have grasped the story a little better than the Weasley's and asked a more significant question, "So, all that time that you weren't eating was caused by this poison Vespa gave you?"

"Yeah, it was awful. But I'm totally free from any poison now."

"And the way you are shaking every now and then is caused by what?" Ginny asked.

Harry looked down in embarrassment. He had actually thought he was hiding those tremors pretty well but realized that he must not have been. "Vespa cast a couple of Cruciatus at me. Severus doesn't know why I still have the after effects though. I guess he'll figure that out."

"What did she do to your hair?" Ron asked and pointed to the bald patch.

"I don't know why, but she yanked it out."

All three Gryffindor made a face of dismay over hearing that. Harry shrugged as he ran his fingers over the bald spot. It shouldn't be that big a deal but for some reason he was more embarrassed by that than any other injury. He thought about wearing a hat for awhile and tried to move other hair to hide the spot.

"Maybe your dad has something that will fix that," Ron offered.

Harry continued answering questions for another hour before Severus came back up. He watched his father walk into the room and gave him a smile.

When the other Gryffindors noticed Snape they stood up to leave.

Hermione asked, "Harry are you coming to classes tomorrow?"

Harry looked to Severus, not really sure if he would allow him to go yet.

Severus answered for him, "Actually I haven't had a chance to talk with Harry about this yet but we will be leaving for Snape Manor as soon as possible." Severus saw the look of surprise on his son's face and explained further, "I feel that you need a little time to recuperate before resuming your studies. Although I would like you to bring your books and try to catch up on some reading. Don't bother bringing your Potions books; I'll let you slide on that until you are caught up on your other subjects. We will return Sunday night and you may resume classes on Monday."

Harry missed the looks of incredulity his friends gave one another over 'letting potions slide'.

Harry was wishing he had more time to visit with his friends before he left. He thought he would take the chance and ask, "Severus, do you think it would be okay if my friends came for a visit?"

Severus raised an eyebrow, "Perhaps you did not hear correctly … I said _recuperate_. Not cause more mischief," Snape watched as Harry's shoulders slumped. The blasted boy looked sad. "Very well, if they can procure permission from their parents then they may join us after classes' tomorrow evening."

All four Gryffindors smiled and Ron and Harry gave each other high fives.

Before they left Hermione asked, "Professor, do you have anything to fix Harry's bald spot? I think he feels a little self conscious about it."

Severus looked towards Harry and noted the blush that had crept up his cheeks. He grabbed Harry's chin and lowered it so he could see the spot better. The Potion Master raised his wand and said a spell that Hermione tried to remember. They all watched as the hair on Harry's head began to grow just in the bald spot.

Harry touched the spot and was surprised that there was actually hair on the spot now. "Thanks Dad," he said without thinking. He looked up and saw Ron's eyebrows go up, the girls smiled at him.

Severus acted as if it was nothing to hear his son call him 'dad' in front of his friends but was actually quite satisfied.

Hermione gave Harry a hug goodbye followed by Ginny. When Ginny had him in a firm embrace she whispered in his ear, "I think you sound rather sexy with your scratchy voice."

Harry blushed right down to his roots and ducked his head so no one would see his grin.

When the Gryffindors walked out into the hallway Severus shut the door and turned towards Harry. He rolled his eyes over what he had just agreed to. This may very well be a very long weekend.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Within the next hour Severus and Harry were seated in the formal dining room at Snape manor with a feast of food before them.

"You know, I can't eat all this, right?" Harry asked and pointed to his heaping plate of food.

Severus raised an eyebrow, "You are too thin. Eat as much as you are capable of but make a good effort."

"Severus, do you think you could stop monitoring my food once Ginny gets here? I mean I am sixteen and now that the poison is gone my appetite is starting to come back." Harry asked hopefully.

"Harry," Severus was going to give him a lecture but decided against it, "very well, I will desist from commenting on your eating habits in front of your friends. However, if I feel that you are not taking adequate nutrition then I will speak with you in private."

"And try not to lecture me about safety and stuff in front of her either," Harry added.

Severus raised an eyebrow, "That I will not agree to. Perhaps if you were not so prone to dangerous escapades I would consider agreeing to that request. As it is, I hardly think your past experiences give me confidence that you will not do something in which you shouldn't."

Harry thought that through and was loath to have to agree with his father. "Yeah, but don't make a big deal about how late we stay up, okay?"

Snape looked at his son with as much patience as he could muster, "Mr. Potter, you should have thought of these requests before you invited your friends. However, I will try to refrain from treating you as if you were five years old. That is, unless you begin to act like a child and do something dim-witted."

"I guess I can live with that. Does it bother you that I invited my friends over?"

Harry watched the professor place his fork on his plate and think about that before answering, "My feelings on this subject do not apply. This is your home and you should feel free to invite your friends over. As it stands, I feel you deserve to have a pleasurable weekend. With your friends in residence it seems more likely to happen."

"Yeah, it will be fun. But, I would have a good weekend with just you too." Harry said truthfully.

Severus didn't respond to that but was pleased to hear Harry say it.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Once Harry was in bed he hoped that Severus would come see him before going to bed himself. He waited for close to an hour before he heard Severus go into his own room. Maybe he shouldn't have said all that stuff. Severus probably thought he didn't want him to come say goodnight now? Harry lay awake as long as he could just in case his father decided to come in.

XXXXXXXXX

Hours after Severus went to sleep he woke up to screams coming from Harry's bedroom. He grabbed his wand off his night stand and rushed into his son's room. Harry was thrashing about in his bed, still in the throes of a nightmare. At first he was unsure how to wake him up without pushing him further into his nightmare.

Severus sat on the edge of Harry's bed and gently squeezed his son's arm, "Harry, you're safe. Wake up son, you're home now."

Harry sat up realizing where he was in a rush of memories. He saw his dad sitting on his bed and turned his head in embarrassment. Bloody hell, why did this keep happening?

"Sorry," Harry rubbed his face with his good hand wishing he could disappear. "I probably should have put a silencing spell on my bed."

Severus shook his head and grabbed Harry's bandaged hand, "No, I think I already asked you not to do that. Do you wish to talk about it?"

"Well, you know … it was about Vespa and those dogs, I think. It's not really a big deal, I know I'm safe," Harry sunk back into his pillows, trying not to show how frightened the dream actually made him.

Severus furrowed his brow and wondered if Harry was telling the truth. The nightmare must have been much worse than Harry was leading on to have caused that sort of reaction. This poor boy had really been through too much at such a young age.

"I wish I could give you the dreamless sleep potion but you are taking too many other potions for it to be safe. Do you wish me to stay with you while you sleep for a while?" Severus asked.

"No, that's okay. You probably haven't slept much yourself. Anyway, I have to find a way to get through this on my own."

"Are you certain? You may sleep on the sofa in my rooms if that would help," Severus suggested, not wanting to leave Harry alone.

"It's okay."

"Alright then, occlude your mind of any thoughts of Vespa and try and get some sleep," Severus walked out the door, spelling the lights off before leaving.

Harry sat in the dark room wishing he hadn't just said that. He really didn't have any idea how to deal with this on his own. How was he ever going to hide these nightmares when his friends were in the next rooms? He sat up trying to stay awake so the nightmares wouldn't invade his dreams again. The thought of having one of those nightmares with Ginny witnessing made him cringe. It was bad enough she had witnessed the last time Voldemort attacked him. Well, the silencing barrier around his bed was most certainly going to have to be up once his friends came. But how was he going to get any sleep knowing that either Vespa or Voldemort was just waiting for him once he closed his eyes. He got out of bed and began pacing in front of the fireplace, anything to keep him from sleeping.

Severus went back to his room feeling uneasy about leaving Harry alone to deal with this. He had wanted to stay but was wondering if Harry was needing more space. After his son's statements on not embarrassing him in front of his friends, he thought maybe he was being a little too 'hands on'. The books he read mentioned that this would be happening. But, Harry was not like other sixteen year old teens. He had been raised with more horrors than most grown men had ever faced. And he had more horrors to come with the prophecy still looming ahead. Maybe giving the boy a little more leeway to work out his problems was the best approach.

Harry paced for a half hour before slumping down in a chair in exhaustion. He really didn't realize how tired he was. He must have only been asleep for a short time before sitting up with a jerk. The vision of Vespa pulling his hair out had flashed in a nightmare, sending a shiver down his spine. He stood up quickly and begun to pace again.

Bloody hell! The feeling of fear was really starting to get to him. Before he could change his mind he grabbed the Gryffindor quilt and a pillow off his bed and headed into Severus' room. He quietly opened the door and soundlessly made his way to the sofa before the roaring fire. The Potion Master was fast asleep and Harry was glad that he hadn't waked him. Sleep came easily without any nightmares to wake him up.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Severus awoke and was surprised to see Harry sleeping peacefully on the sofa. Getting up quietly he made his way into the bathroom to shower and change. When he came back he was disappointed to see that Harry was already gone. He was hoping to talk with Harry regarding his nightmares before the other Gryffindor arrived. With that thought in mind he went down to the library and began to look for books on dreams and nightmares.

After showering and changing for the day Harry went looking for Severus. He found him in the library with a stack of books before him.

"Good morning Sir," Harry greeted as he walked into the room and sat down in the chair next to his father.

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Severus noticed how the boy seemed uncomfortable with that question.

"Better. Sorry bout sneaking into your room last night."

Severus leaned towards Harry resting his hand on his son's shoulder, "Harry, you may feel free to sleep on the sofa anytime you desire. I was just going through a few books to see if we can't find a solution to these nightmares that are plaguing you."

"Thanks but I'm sure they'll go away on their own. Anyway I'm used to living with some sort of nightmare interrupting my dreams."

Severus shook his head, not sure what to say to that comment, "Nevertheless, I am not going to let you go through this alone. I intend to help as much as I am capable of."

Harry gave his father a small smile, "Thanks, you're a really good dad."

"Thank you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry was roaming the estate after the big lunch his father forced him to eat. The place was even bigger than he had thought it was. There were secret rooms hidden everywhere. He had already found three and was working on trying to open a door behind a shelf of books in the study by the time Severus found him.

"What are you trying to accomplish?" Severus asked at the sight of Harry waving his wand around the shelf and reciting different unlocking spells.

"I'm pretty sure there's a secret room behind this shelf. Or … maybe I shouldn't be doing this?" Harry realized he had never asked permission to go exploring for these secret rooms.

"The rooms that you are not allowed in will remain locked, even with your unlocking spells. Perhaps you should tell me what it is you are looking for in these rooms."

"Nothing, I'm not looking for anything. I was just exploring is all, but if you don't want me to then I won't," Harry had the feeling he was doing something he shouldn't be doing.

Severus thought of the few rooms which held dangerous objects and the temptation hiding behind the secret room before them. "The room behind that shelf should remain locked as it leads to a place I would rather you did not go into. The secret room behind the fireplace in my study is also off limits. The other rooms are open to your explorations. Just be careful as some of the items in the rooms may be dangerous."

"What's in the room behind this shelf?"

"That is not of your concern but suffice it to say, it will only lead to trouble," Severus grabbed Harry's shoulder and steered him out of the room. "Now, come along and begin your readings. I am quite certain that you could put your efforts into more useful activities such as reading your long forgotten school books."

"Yes Sir, but will you at least tell me what's behind the shelf?"

Severus rolled his eyes at the persistent boy before him, "No, it will not be to your benefit to have that information. Now, get to your reading."

Before Harry realized what he was doing he looked Severus in the eyes and forced himself into his thoughts, into his memories, unfolding the mystery of what was behind the shelf.

A long tunnel+ A portal leading to a store in Knockturn Alley + A cabinet with odd figures carved in the sides+A dark cave filled with Death Eaters+

!Crack! Harry suddenly became conscious of the fact that he had just been slapped. He had been slapped with such force that he was actually knocked to the ground. He promptly stood up placing his hand on the stinging spot on his face and looked at his father with fear.

Seething with anger Severus glared down at his son, "Don't you ever do that again! How dare you even think of entering my thoughts without permission?" He grabbed the front of his son's shirt and forced him into a chair with a push.

Harry continued staring at his father with his hand placed over the heated red mark on his face. He couldn't believe Severus had just hit him.

"You have absolutely no right to invade my thoughts in that manner!" Severus was livid. He didn't care that Harry was looking at him as if he was a Death Eater or that the boy had a deep red bruise forming on his face. It served the boy right to be punished over the incident he had brought on himself. Blasted boy just couldn't control his own curiosity! "Get up to your room."

When Harry didn't move from the chair, Severus pulled him up by the front of his shirt and yelled, "Move!"

Harry made his way into his room, not looking back at his father. He just couldn't believe what had happened. Too many thoughts crowded his mind to decipher.

Severus stayed in the main hall, pacing back and forth, trying to calm down a bit. The boy saw his memories. Harry now knew the door led to a portal leading to Knockturn Alley which led to a cabinet that led to Voldemort! That information alone was enough to justify the slap he had given his son. He had tried to occlude his mind, had tried to push Harry out. But when the boy would not budge he had been forced to hit him otherwise Harry would witness true horrors.

How could he possibly keep Harry safe in this house with the knowledge that his son now knew how to get to Voldemort? The boy was nowhere near ready to fight him, nowhere near emotionally strong enough to face the Dark Lord. Knowing how compulsive his son was at times, how the boy had an impulse to save people made the portal an even bigger threat.

Blasted boy just didn't know when to leave well enough alone. Severus walked back to the study and began spelling more wards around the shelf. He conjured up a ward that would alert him if anyone was to even step foot in the room. Now a bit calmer he decided to go give Harry a piece of his mind over what the boy had done.

Harry paced around his room for awhile before sitting down in front of the fire. How could Severus have just done that? He had promised not to hurt him, promised! How could he ever believe a word his father told him after being lied to like that. He dropped his head to his hands and just let the injustice of the situation take over him.

Severus threw the door opened and stalked inside. Harry jumped up to face his father.

"Get over here and take a seat," Severus hissed as he pointed to a chair.

Harry gave his father a resentful look but did as he was told, sitting and looking down at his hands.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you? Did it ever occur to you that there might be dangers in this house that could cause your demise? Did it ever occur to you that I am doing the best I can to protect you? Look at me when I am speaking!" Severus grabbed Harry's chin harshly forcing the boy to look up at him.

"You hit me," Harry stated in an accusing tone and tried to pull away from the grip his father had on him.

Severus held tighter to his son's face and lowered his own so they were just inches apart, "And I will do it again if you ever try to break into my memories."

"Let go!" Harry grabbed Severus' hand and tried to pull it away from his chin. Severus held tighter and jerked his son's face up towards him.

"Stop acting as if you didn't deserve what you got. You are not the least bit regretful, are you? So, what do you plan to do with your new knowledge? Go after Voldemort perhaps?"

Harry flinched at the tone of voice Severus was using. "I'm sorry, alright. I didn't even know I was going to do that, it just happened."

Severus was disappointed that Harry didn't seem to take his actions seriously. It seemed as if the boy was feeling as if he were the victim in this case.

"I feel it best that you take some time out to show at least a modicum of regret over what you did." Severus let go of Harry and called out, "Kinsey!"

The house elf popped into the room, and took in the scene before her. She looked at Severus with fright over seeing the boy with a fresh red bruise on his cheek. "Yes Master?"

"Inform Minerva that the Gryffindor students will not be joining us this weekend."

Harry stood up to protest, "You can't do that! They …" He was cut off by a sharp push to his chest, forcing him to sit down once more.

"Close-your-mouth Mr. Potter," Snape warned in a cold tone that made Harry obey.

Kinsey looked sorrowfully at Harry before disappearing.

"You are to remain in that chair until you begin to grasp the gravity of your transgression. If you so much as stand to stretch you will regret ever getting out of bed this morning!" Severus strode from the room, slamming the door on his way out.

Harry couldn't believe how mad the professor was. He wanted to get up and pace but decided against it, not wanting to chance getting caught.

After a good hour long of feeling like the injured party in this situation, Harry finally let himself see the events from a new perspective. Maybe Severus was just trying to protect him from Voldemort. The portal looked as if it would take him to a shop in Knockturn Alley. The cabinet was still fresh in his mind when Snape's anger began to make sense. Maybe the professor thought that he would use that cabinet to go after Voldemort? Yeah, but that was crazy, even he wasn't _that_ brave.

After another two hours had passed the door opened and Severus walked in with a potion and a cream. He set those down on the side table and walked over to the sofa motioning for Harry to join him. He turned towards his son and gently cupped the boy's cheek with his hand. Harry flinched slightly but didn't pull away.

"Harry, you have no idea what you mean to me, do you? The thought of you getting caught up in danger is the nightmare that _I _live with every night. I have this overwhelming desire to protect you from ever suffering again. I-I love you as if you were my own son." Severus felt himself choke up but swallowed it down to continue getting this important message across to his son.

Harry couldn't believe that Severus was saying all this to him. It was a message straight to the heart and made him feel a lump in his throat. It made him feel even guiltier than he already was feeling. His father had actually said that he loved him.

"I know that in the past you never really had a parent care about your well being. I also know that you act out of bravery thinking that no one would care if you were harmed, and to a certain extent no adult took precautions against it. But you must understand, I am here now. I will watch out for you and act as a parent should. You must trust that I will pass on my knowledge to you as **I** see fit. What you did today was to undermine my entire authority. You felt that you should have the same knowledge that I have. You took that knowledge, stole it in a sense, without my permission. It hurt me deeply that you could do such a thing."

Harry felt himself begin to lose his composure over hearing the pain in his father's voice. "I'm sorry, I really am. I don't know why I did that, it just sort of happened and I know that's a stupid excuse but … I'm really sorry." The thought that he had hurt the man who he had grown to love, made tears spring to his eyes.

Severus grabbed hold of his son's shoulders and pulled him close. He held him, knowing that the boy was justly repentant. Harry pushed his face into his father's chest, now truly feeling remorseful over his actions. He never thought of Legilimens in the way that Severus described but now he could see the man's point quite clearly.

"You must promise me something," Severus waited for Harry to look him in the eye before continuing, "You must promise that you will never step foot in that room again."

Harry nodded his head in agreement, "Yes Sir, I promise."

"Very well then, we will put this issue to rest," Severus held his hand out and called, "Accio Harry's potion and cream." The items landed smoothly in his hand. "The potion is for the after effects the Cruciatus is still causing. Although I notice that it has almost run its course."

Harry drank the potion glad to be rid of the embarrassing trembling. Severus gently guided his son's face to him and rubbed the cream over the angry red bruise on his cheek. He was regretful that he had left such a deep mark.

Harry looked his father in the eyes and said very clearly, "Don't hit me anymore, alright?"

Severus heard authority in his son's voice that made it clear he was not asking. The boy was _telling_ him that it wasn't acceptable.

"Alright," Severus said with deep respect for his son standing up to him and more importantly, standing up for himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX


	36. Chapter 36 The Order

36 - The Order

Harry pulled out all the reading material he had brought with him from his book bag. He was determined to do everything he was supposed to do to make up for pilfering through his father's memories earlier. He had never seen Severus so angry at him before, not even the time he had looked into his pensieve. The feeling of letting Severus down was a powerful one. It ate away at him all evening long, making it hard to concentrate on keeping his thoughts on what he was reading.

He only had a few minutes before dinner and decided to clean up and go down so he wouldn't risk being late. On his way down to the main dining room he saw several owls resting in the entryway. They must be waiting for responses to take back from Severus. Harry wondered what had taken place to have brought so many owls at the same time. He stopped by his father's study to see.

Severus was writing his last response to the events that had taken place and was folding the letter to send back when he noticed Harry standing at the door.

"Come in Harry and take a seat. I'll be right back," Severus gathered up the mail and departed for the entryway.

Harry sat down trying not to look at the open mail on Severus' desk. The last thing he needed was to get caught snooping in the professor's mail. He tried not to look towards the fireplace, knowing full well that there was a secret door hidden in the wall. His eyes drifted that way, studying the area surrounding the fireplace. Maybe it was behind the paneling under the mantel?

"Did you not learn your lesson?" came the cold voice from the doorway. Severus had noticed what Harry had been staring at. The room behind the fireplace was too dangerous to fathom having his son snoop through.

Harry swung his head around to look at his father asthe Potion masterstalked into the room with robes billowing behind.

"I haven't done anything, sir," Harry quickly explained.

"And you best not if you know what is good for you. I expect exemplary behavior from you the rest of this weekend."

"Yes, sir.I'll do my best," Harry said with a small smile. The professor looked at him with an eyebrow raised and Harry had the intelligence to stop smiling. He watched as the professor sat down behind the desk.

"Fine. Now I need to let you know the latest developments that have occurred. It seems that there was a breach of security at Hogwarts. Fortunately, no one was hurt. We will assume the perpetrators were looking for you as they were seen near Gryffindor Tower. Actually, they werescaling the wall on their way up to Gryffindor Tower. At this point we are just assuming since they were not apprehended. We are also to assume that they were followers of Voldemort since someone did claim to see the perpetrators wearing masks." Severus stopped to see what reaction Harry would have over hearing that. The boy sat without emotion sadly enough, as if he was used to this sort of thing taking place.

"The wards have been strengthened once again but we are beginning to believe that there is someone helping from the inside. I will interrogate some of the students in my house when we return," Severus said in an acerbic tone.

"Severus, that's twice now that Death Eaters have broken through the wards. Why are the wards weakening so much?"

Severus took a deep breath before answering, "Harry, I think you should know that Albus has not been feeling well lately. As he is weakening the wards seem to be weakening as well."

Harry was taken aback over hearing that. He never thought of Dumbledore being old but come to think of it the man was rather ancient. It saddened Harry to think of the powerful Headmaster in terms of becoming old. "Is that why the Death Eaters are becoming so bold to actually come onto school grounds?"

"I am not certain but they seem to be taking foolish risks in order to get a hold of you. Maybe it has something to do with you coming of age this summer or maybe it has to do with Albus. Once again we are speculating. Do you have any thoughts on this?"

"No, I mean I've never really had any dreams or anything about it. I just thought they were after me because of the prophecy. Severus do you think I will gain more power when I turn seventeen?"

Severus considered holding off answering that question but decided against it, "Yes I do. After witnessing the uncontrolled magic you possess I do feel that there is a reason you have that. Since seventeen is the age a wizard is considered an adult I believe many questions will be answered for you at that time. Now as far as returning to Hogwarts is concerned, I am not sure that is a wise choice. I am beginning to lose confidence that the school would adequately protect you from those wishing you harm."

"But, I have to go back. I mean, I've already missed too many classes and I have to catch up. " Harry really hoped his father did not intend to keep him here for safety reasons.

"Harry, you will do whatever I deem necessary to keep you safe. Albus has called an emergency meeting of the Order that I will host here tonight. You have strict orders to remain in your bedroom until everyone has left. Do you understand?"

"But,if the meeting is about me then I …" Harry saw the look on his father's face and changed his mind on what he had intended to say, "Yes, Sir."

They headed into the diningroom and ate dinner in silence. Harry was upset over being banned from attending a meeting regarding him. Severus was worried over the events at the school. He had been feeling the sharp call from Voldemort through the dark mark on his arm almost constantly the past few days.

There was definitely something big about to take place. It worried Severus to no end that his son was not prepared to handle a confrontation at this point. The thought of Harry facing Voldemort sent chills down his spine. Harry had just been rid of the poison and now he was having to face an attempted kidnapping. The Order meeting this evening would be discussing that problem. He still wasn't sure what the solution was but knew that something had to be done to prepare Harry before he faced Voldemort. His thoughts were interrupted by Harry.

"Severus, do you think I could just attend the meeting to hear what happened at the school? I could go up to my room after," Harry asked with force.

"I think it best that you go up to your room as soon as you finish supper. I will fill you in on the information I deem necessary for you to hear," Severus answered back with authority.He knew some Order members were bent on his son training at a private location away from the school. He could only imagine what sort of response that would evoke from Harry.

Harry held his anger in check, but it was hard. "Yes, Sir."

As soon as supper was finished Harry went up to his room as promised. He tried to concentrate on reading his transfiguration book but it became almost impossible. He could hear voices downstairs and knew that the meeting had begun. He heard someone raising their voice and then silence. He figured Severus must have cast a privacy spell because he couldn't hear anything more.

An idea suddenly occurred to him, it was a stupid idea but he couldn't help himself. Harry quietly snuck into Severus' bedroom and rifled through his closet. He knew that the invisibility cloak was in there. It didn't take long to find a package wrapped up in brown paper. Harry opened it to reveal the invisibility cloak his father James had given him. He wrapped it around himself and went down the stairs after casting a silencing charm on himself. It wouldn't be good to have someone hear him breathing or his footsteps.

Harry walked down into the large living room and saw that there were around twenty Order members present. Among them was Dumbledore, Shaklebolt, Lupin, McGonagall, Tonks, the older members of the Weasley family including Ron's brothers and Moody. Thankfully Moody was standing behind a marble column or Harry would have been seen with Moody's magical eye.

Moody was angry and raised his voice to get his point across, "The boy should be removed to a safer location until he is stronger. We can't protect him at that school, isn't that obvious by now!"

Arthur spoke up next, "We can not isolate him from a normal life. What do you want to do Alastor, train him into a soldier!"

"Alastor he is a sixteen year old boy who just wants the chance to be normal. But I see your point about offering specialized training. We all know what his destiny holds. " Lupin said.

"I agree with Alastor, he should be removed and taken to a secret location to be trained properly. I don't think we should concern ourselves with the idea that he should have a chance to be normal. The fact of the matter is that he is not normal, he is destined to fight the darkest wizard of our time," Shacklebolt emphatically stated.

Molly Weasley could not hold her tongue any longer, "That is the most ridicules thing I have ever heard! He is normal! He cannot help that he was marked. Harry deserves more respect than to just yank him from the family he has made for himself. "

"Family? That's a joke! He was adopted by a Death Eater! The ministry should have never allowed such a thing to happen in the first place!" Moody said with contempt.

Harry watched as Severus remained calmly seated without even contradicting Moody.

Arthur was up on feet in a flash though, "Don't you ever say that in front of Harry! If he heard you talk about Severus that way he would turn his back on you forever. Is that what you want Moody? Severus has been an exemplary father to him and Harry needs that more than any of you will ever know!"

Harry couldn't believe what Lupin said next, "His real father would have a fit if he knew that Harry was adopted by you! I too think the boy should be removed from this home and from Hogwarts."

Harry didn't think he would ever forgive Remus for saying that. It made him angry beyond words to hear these people talk about Severus as if he was still a Death Eater.

"Harry stays with me," Severus simply stated. He didn't feel the need to defend himself.

"Harry really should be trained," said McGonagall. "He has been rather distracted as of late. I'm not sure if he would be able to continue taking his courses and train at the same time Severus. Perhaps, a different location would be favorable. Perhaps Mr. Moody would be a stanch supervisor for Harry while he prepares."

"The boy needs discipline and to focus on defeating Voldemort!" Moody growled out.

Harry felt his heart race over hearing these people decide his fate. He didn't want to be taken away and trained. He wanted to go back to school and see his friends, play Quiddich, see Ginny! He couldn't believe they were talking about him like he was some science experiment and Severus was hardly trying to stop them.

"I know of a location that is unplotted and would serve as an excellent training facility," Shacklebolt offered.

Harry couldn't take it anymore! They were actually going to take him away from Severus! He felt the familiar sensation of magic build within himself. He tried to hold it back, tried to get control. The magic was building and he wasn't sure what would happen when it was released. He tried so hard to push it down.

Suddenly the room began to shake, almost as if there was an earthquake. The chandelier swung from above casting shadows around the room. The vases and statues clinked against each other. Everyone in the room stood up and pulled their wands out. They looked around frantically for the cause of the shaking as precious objects crashed to the ground around them.

A harsh voice cut through the noise in the room, "Mr. Potter, show yourself immediately!" Severus looked around knowing his son was here somewhere. "**Immediately**!" he said in the harshest voice he could muster before Harry caused more damage.

Harry was mortified as he dropped the cloak and walked around the statue. He looked at his father anxiously as the tremors in the room ceased. All eyes were upon him when he took a quick glance around.

Harry spotted Mad Eye Moody looking irritable, "Who the bloody hell do you think you are to talk about my father like that! You and your training can go to hell because you're the last person I would ever let teach me anything!"

Harry whipped around and looked at Remus, "And you! I thought you were looking out for me! You're no better than Moody! I don't ever want to see you again!"

Lupin was mortified and had to sit down.

People were trying to get Harry to settle down, but he didn't need their concern over him. He spotted McGonagall next, "How could you even think of taking me away from my friends! You know what they mean to me. Wasn't it bad enough that you sent me away with a murderer? Now you want to send me away from Severus? I'm sick and tired of you screwing up my life!" He could hear gasps all around.

Minerva's hand went to chest and she looked as if she could hardly breathe.

"That is enough!" came the cold silky voice that Harry most worried about. He felt his father grasp his shoulder in a vice like grip. Harry was harshly grabbed on the arm and dragged into the adjoining library.

"What gives you the right to speak to adults in that manner? These people are your elders, you must respect them for the positions that they hold. I have never seen a more disrespectful boy in all my life!"

"But what about what they're saying about you? How could you just sit there and let them say all that stuff!" Harry tried pulling away but Severus held tighter to his shoulder until it felt like it might break.

"You have crossed the line Harry. How dare you speak with such impertinence," Severus used his most severe voice to push his point across to the boy, "I am deeply ashamed of you."

Harry looked down feeling shame wash over him. Those words hurt more than any slap would ever hurt.

"You go out there this minute and apologize.You better hope they all accept your apology or you will be writing fifty page quests for forgiveness."

"But…" Harry started to protest but Severus grabbed him by both arms and yanked him so close that they were nose to nose.

"I said apologize!" Severus hissed into his son's face.

Harry dropped his head in total humiliation. He turned and walked back out to the livingroom. He addressed the group at large and mumbled out, "Sorry."

"This time with sincerity," Severus demanded.

This just couldn't get anymore humiliating. Harry turned towards the group again, "I'm sorry I interrupted your meeting and I shouldn't have said all those things," he glanced at McGonagall and she nodded at him.

He turned back to his father and asked in a quiet voice, "Severus you're not going to let them take me, are you?"

Severus stepped closer to his son and said in a soft voice, "Harry, when will you begin to trust me?"

Severus looked at Harry's slumped shoulders and defeated stance. He draped his arm over his son's shoulders, "Come sit down."

They sat next to each other on the long sofa and faced the rest of the group. Harry could hardly bring himself to meet anyone's eyes. He looked down at his hands as he nervously played with his wand.

Severus kept his arm draped over his son's shoulder in a show of support, "Harry will remain with me. I am fully aware that some think me a poor choice to parent Mr. Potter. Suffice it to say, that it matters not to me what others think."

Severus looked towards Moody before speaking again, "I know what my contribution to this war has been. I'll just leave it at that. Mr. Potter is not a commodity to be discussed with such disregard to his well being. He is my son and I will make all decisions regarding him from this point forward. I agree that he should have specialized training. However, he stays with me. That point is not open for debate. I believe that Hogwarts would be an adequate location to train him in defense. May I count on your support in this important endeavor?" Severus now looked from one Order member to the next.

One at a time they agreed.

Moody nodded his assent but mumbled, "It's obvious you hold all the cards."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked with irritation.

Moody gave him a stern look, "What it means Potter is that your allegiance is to your father, not to the Order Of The Phoenix. This in turn puts Severus in a powerful position."

"I've never been allowed to attend a meeting of the Order, so how could my allegiance even be to it?" Harry answered back with annoyance. "I want Voldemort to die just as badly as everyone else does. It just sucks that I'm the one that has to do it."

Bill Weasley asked, "Harry, what the bloody hell was that room shaking all about? Was that coming from you?"

Harry shrugged but answered, "I guess when I get really angry it just comes out sometimes."

The Order members looked at one another over hearing that.

Severus cleared his throat before saying, "That magic is what saved us from the beasts that I informed you about at the last meeting. I obviously did not describe the uncontrolled magic properly. It is rather amazing to behold when it is unleashed. Thankfully Mr. Potter had the good sense not to unleash it this evening."

Remus spoke up in a shaky voice, "If holding it back causes the room to tremor that way than I shudder to think what releasing it would cause. Now do you understand why we are concerned about your defense training Harry?"

"Yes Remus, I'm not as senseless as you obviously think I am. I know what my future holds." Harry answered back with strength and boldlyplaced a hand on his father's forearm. He knew this action would make some people uncomfortable as it was a true sign of where he drew his strength from.

Severus gave him an encouraging nod but remained quiet. He felt his son had to put forth his point in his own way.

Remus looked remorseful as he went on, "Harry, I can only plead stupidity in the way I spoke about Severus. I was unaware of the protective relationship he has offered you. I must ask your forgiveness Harry."

Harry looked towards the last Marauder with hurt clearly written on his face, "Do you really think my parents wouldn't want me to be happy? Because I don't care anymore what they might think. I've been alone for a really long time, Remus. "

That last sentence made several Order members teary eyed. Everyone knew exactly what the Potter family had sacrificed. This boy was the one paying the price.

"Harry, there is something that you should know, something that you should both know." Remus looked Severus in the eyes as he spoke, "Lily always trusted you Severus. She actually wanted you to be the secret keeper. James vetoed the idea but Lily was certain you were the one person who would never betray their location. She felt that if you were strong enough to fool Voldemort on a daily basis then you would never break under pressure." Remus looked at Harry, "So, to answer your question, I think your Mother would not only want you to be happy but would approve of your new family. I'm sorry I upset you Harry, you know how much you mean to me."

"Thanks for telling me that Remus. It really means a lot. I didn't mean what I said earlier," Harry gave him a small smile.

Severus sat frozen over hearing that new information. It meant more to him than anyone could ever imagine. Lily had always held a special place in his heart and now knowing that she trusted him made him feel whole. Adopting Harry felt even more right, if that was possible.

Harry noticed that Severus seemed to be caught up in his thoughts. He figured it had something to do with what Remus said about his mum. He leaned into him and whispered, "Are you alright?"

Severus composed himself quickly, "I'm fine."

Albus spoke in a calm voice which helped the group to refocus, "I would like to propose a new plan. The position of Defense Against The Dark Arts has become available. I would like an Auror to accept the position and along with teaching the students, privately tutor Mr. Potter. I would also like Harry to have private lessons in Potions, Charms and Transfigurations at a much higher level than he is taking now. I will excuse all other classes not relevant to his defeating Voldemort. If this is agreeable to you Severus than I ask that you choose the DADA teacher. If you would like the position yourself than that would be satisfactory as well."

Severus felt nonplussed for a moment as he digested the question before him. He had always wanted the DADA position, had asked yearly to hold the position. But now so much was riding on it. The real question was; what is best for Harry? Who could teach Harry the most?

With those thoughts in mind Severus announced, "I am quite certain that the best person to teach Mr. Potter would be Moody."

Harry stood up, "No way! I'm not going …" He was abruptly cut off as Severus stood up and grabbed hold of him from the back of the neck.

With a dead calm voice Severus said, "Sit down."

Harry sat but was bristling with rage over who his father had chosen. He gave Moody a filthy look, just daring him to accept the position.

Moody looked as if he was still trying to absorb that announcement. He nodded at Severus and said, "I accept." He then swung his magical eye to Harry before asking, "Do you disagree with this?"

Harry wanted to yell out, 'Hell yes, I disagree!' but he knew that Moody was the strongest Auror in the world. That he really could learn a lot from the man. More importantly that if he undermined his father's decision he would be essentially telling everyone that his father held no authority over him. He had worked too hard at making this relationship work to ruin it now.

Severus sat with his hands on his lap knowing that his son would make the right decision.

Harry looked at his father then at Moody, "I agree." Severus felt a rush of pride in the boy and placed his hand on his son's shoulder once again.

Moody leaned forward and asked, "Do you agree to do as I ask without question?"

Harry wanted to roll his eyes and leave but he knew that wouldn't go over well, "Yes sir."

Moody looked at Severus, "Are you planning on coddling the boy when he thinks lessons are getting too tough?"

Tonks spoke up, "Moody, I think it is quite clear that Severus doesn't coddle Harry! I'm thinking he's overly strict myself."

Harry shot her a look of gratitude.

In a composed voice Severus answered, "How I choose to respond to my son is not open to public debate. I do not intend to let Harry dictate the lessons in which you teach Moody. However, if I feel I should step in at any point then I will not hesitate to do so."

Moody nodded. "I can live with that. Alright then, you have yourself a new DADA teacher Albus." Moody stood up and shook hands with the Headmaster.

Harry couldn't believe this was happening. He was going to get stuck in a room for hours with a mad man that hated him. Shite, what had he got himself into now.

The meeting continued with decisions being made on keeping Harry safe during his training and where the classes should be held. Harry leaned back against the sofa and tuned everything out. He knew this was all being done for his own good but it still wasn't something he looked forward to. He felt his eyes getting heavy as he thought the energy it had taken to push down that uncontrolled magic had taken its toll on his body. Without meaning to he drifted off to sleep with his head resting on the back of the sofa and his face pressed into his father's sleeve.

When he awoke it was to Order members shaking hands and bidding each other farewell. Harry stood up, ashamed that he had let himself fall asleep like a child. He rubbed his eyes and made his way over to the Weasley's.

Molly took one look at his mussed up hair and tired eyes and wished that this whole Voldemort thing could wait until the boy was older. It wasn't fair that he should be put into this position. More importantly it wasn't fair that his childhood had been robbed so mercilessly.

"Harry, you firecall me anytime you need something. And be careful, alright?" Molly gathered her son's best friend into her arms and squeezed him soundly.

"Alright. And thank you for sticking up for me earlier," Harry said with sincerity.

As soon as he was released from Mrs. Weasley he was grabbed again but this time by Tonks.

"Hey Harry," Tonks released him and looked into his eyes. "I know you don't really like Mad Eye but I think Severus made a good choice. Moody's taught me things that you would never learn in the Auror program. Just try to give him a chance."

"Yeah, I guess I don't really have a choice, do I? Are you going to come train me too?"

"Sure am. I'm supposed to help you with charms. But I'm also assigned to watch out for you when you practice Quiddich and guard you at the games. Severus insisted that you not have to give up Quiddich," Tonks informed him. "There were _some _who fought against it for safety reasons but Severus wouldn't budge."

The thought of Severus standing up for him made him smile. "Good, cause I wouldn't give it up anyways."

Just then Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to face his father, "I heard you fought to keep me on the team?"

"Yes, I might live to regret that decision when Slytherin loses another house cup to Gryffindor though," Severus stated dryly.

"You have that much confidence that Gryffindor's going to win?" Harry asked with a big smile.

"No, but I do have confidence in the fact that you won't let Mr. Malfoy best you as seeker."

"I'll do my best."

When the last person left Harry walked upstairs with Severus and stopped him before he went into his own room. "Severus? Are you still angry at me for going to the meeting?"

"I am not sure. I am glad of the outcome but still feel that you deserve to be punished over the way you spoke to the adults. They have placed themselves in harms way to protect you. I thought I would speak to you regarding your conduct in the morning, after I have had a chance to reflect on the matter."

"Oh." That was not really the response Harry was hoping to hear. He didn't want Severus going to bed still mad at him. "Are you going to come in to say goodnight?"

"If you wish."

"Yeah, I do."

Twenty minutes later, Severus sat down on the edge of his son's bed, "Harry, I know that much is expected of you but that doesn't mean that you are allowed to make the decisions of an adult. You are six months from coming of age but not adulthood. You still have much to learn. I want you to think about that tonight and we will talk in the morning."

Harry wasn't exactly sure what point Severus was trying to make but he could still hear disappointment in his father's voice. "Are you still mad at me?"

Severus furrowed his brow, "Why do you ask that same question again?"

"I just want to know."

"It is quite late. Why don't we talk about this in the morning?" Severus raised his wand and all the lights went out.

Harry could still see his father's face in the light of the fireplace. "Remember what we promised?"

Severus turned to face his son, "To what promise are you referring?"

"When we said we weren't going to go to bed angry at each other. I dunno, I just thought it was a good thing to do." Harry shifted so he was sitting up now.

Severus nodded his head, "I am not angry at you Harry. I suppose I expect too much from you."

"Do you think you would have acted any differently if all those people were talking about me like they were talking about you?" Harry asked, now very curious to Severus response.

Severus thought that question put a new perspective on the situation, "That's a very good argument. I suppose I would have reacted in a similar fashion, minus the theatrical shaking of the room. But there are factors that you are not taking into account. As I told you earlier, the wards in the school are not as strong as they once were. That is most likely the reason that Lupin and Professor McGonagall wished for your removal."

"Maybe, but it sounded as if they wanted me to be taken away from you," Harry stated with an edge of anger.

"In Minerva's case I know that she is looking out for your safety. She is also trying to balance the safety of the school. With me on the premises the wards are much stronger. I can make no excuse for Lupin."

"Weren't you mad at McGonagall for giving me to Vespa?"

Severus moved closer and looked into his son's eyes, "I am quite certain she knows my feelings on that incident. We had a rather long _discussion_ while you were in the midst of recovering. Try to look past the incident as I feel she intended no harm."

Harry wished he had heard what was said in that long discussion. "Severus, I'm sorry about all the trouble I caused today."

"Yes, you did have an exceedingly extensive day in mischief. Very well then, let us put this discussion to rest. I am officially closing the door on the events that took place today. Tomorrow we start anew. Better?"

"Yeah, but only if you mean it." Harry flopped back on his pillows and removed his glasses.

"I do. Goodnight son."

"Night," Harry pulled the blankets up and felt relief.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rest of the weekend was spent in relatively peaceful existence, with Harry catching up on his readings and Severus working in the laboratory. On Sunday night before they left Harry stood on the back veranda and looked at the huge expansive garden. He smelled the fresh air and wished that he had taken a break from reading earlier to go flying. Now they were packed and Severus was ready to go back to Hogwarts. He was interrupted from his reverie by an arm thrown over his shoulder.

"This place brings back many memories," Severus said in quiet contemplation as he looked across the property.

"Did you ever have fun while you lived here," Harry couldn't imagine Severus having the same sort of fun that he and his friends had.

"Oh, I suppose there were moments of satisfaction."

Harry looked at his father and felt sad for the lonely life he must have lead. It was getting a little to depressing for Harry's liking so he thought he would try and lighten the mood a little.

"What do you say we have a race on our brooms before we go back?" Harry asked with a mischievous grin. "Unless you're afraid to loose to a Gryffindor?"

Severus thought about protesting but realized there was really no reason not fly right now. It was such a lovely evening out. "Are you planning to protest when I defeat you?"

"Oh ho, you're pretty confident aren't you? I'll get the brooms!" Harry ran back inside and was back in a flash with two brooms. "I'll even let you ride my Firebolt since you out weigh me."

"Very well, let us race to the big hedge on the far side of the lawn and back again." Severus mounted the broom and waited for his son to give the signal.

Harry was grinning like a Cheshire cat, "Ready, steady …GO!"

Harry shot up and flew over the rose beds and well trimmed garden. He was shocked when he saw Severus fly by him in a black blur. Harry hugged his broom, pressing down as flat as he could against it. He knew this broom wasn't nearly as good as his own but thought it was probably even with Severus' extra weight. He was almost caught up with the professor as they made it to the large hedges.

Severus didn't really care if he beat his son but wanted to give it his best shot. He was amazed at the power this broom had verses his own broom. The fresh air felt good and he realized he was actually enjoying himself. He hoped this would be one of those happy memories he had wished for his son.

Harry was stunned at how well the professor flew. He watched as his father did a perfect hairpin loop to head back to the house. His father was good but Harry knew he was better. He almost thought of letting Severus win just to see him gloat but then decided he didn't want to loose. They were getting closer to the house and if he didn't make a move right now Severus would win.

Harry dropped back behind Severus and flew in the wind tunnel Severus was providing. Just as they were upon the house he shot out in front of the professor. He didn't leave enough room to slow down and land though. The house was coming at him at an alarming speed and he couldn't slow himself down in time. At the last minute before he was going to slam into the house he veered up in a sharp arch and looped backwards. The next thing he knew, he was falling from his broom.

Severus landed and immediately jumped off and pulled his wand out. He knew Harry hadn't left enough room to stop and hoped his son didn't slam into the house before he could buffer the impact. He was amazed that Harry not only didn't hit the house but had managed to loop backwards. He watched as his son came out of the loop unsteadily and fell from the broom.

Severus quickly raised his wand and yelled, "Aressto Momentum!"

Harry felt the tendrils of magic take hold of him and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Severus had saved him from another broken body part. What he wasn't prepared for was his landing. He fell into the large water fountain with the three cupids spouting water. His broom fell from the sky smacking him on the head. He pulled himself up into sitting position and was shocked to hear laughter. Not just a chuckle but a full on deep laughter. When he pulled his glasses off and pushed his soaking hair out of his eyes, he saw his father standing on the side of the fountain with his wand out and his head thrown back in the throes of unabashed laughter.

"Hey, stop laughing I could have been killed!" Harry said indignantly but when he stood up he was pushed back in by the chuckling professor. Harry jumped back up and used his broom to swipe at the water, sending a large wave towards the professor.

The water hit Severus square in the face, soaking his robes clean through.

Now Harry was the one laughing. He moved away when his father grabbed for him and kicked more water at the shocked man. Harry figured that Severus probably had never had a water fight before and wasn't sure what response the man would have. It didn't stop Harry from laughing and jumping out of the professor's grasp though.

By the time Severus grabbed Harry they were both soaked through with big grins on their faces. Severus pulled his wand out and dried himself off with the flick of his wand.

"Could you do that on me too," Harry asked optimistically as he stood in the cool breeze, shaking.

Severus raised an eyebrow and gave his son a slight grin, "No, I think not."

Harry ran after him into the house, dripping water all through the hallway imploring to be dried off.

"Come on Dad," Harry whined.

Severus stopped walking and turned around to face his son. He looked at him for a long moment before smiling, "I believe you know _exactly_ how to manipulate me."

The professor raised his wand and Harry felt himself dry off instantly.

Harry knew this evening would be one of those happy memories he would think about in the hard days to come.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	37. Chapter 37 Mad Eye Moody

Mad Eye Moody

Monday morning Harry made his way into the Great Hall. He was looking forward to seeing his friends again. But he wasn't prepared for the reaction he got when he walked through the heavy wooden doors.

Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and Harry suddenly realized he hadn't seen anyone since the game. He sat down next to Hermione and several people gave him a pat on the back and congratulated him. Hermione told him that most people thought he was recovering from his injuries from the fall during the game. No one other than Ron, Hermione and Ginny knew anything about Vespa and the kidnapping. Harry was glad for that, it meant less questions to answer.

When Harry was finally left alone to eat, Hermione asked what had happened to make Professor Snape cancel their trip to the manor.

"I did something that made him really angry," Harry answered.

Ron and Hermione looked at him expectantly.

"I forced myself into his memories and revealed a secret passageway in the manor. He was upset because it led to Voldemort and he thinks I'm stupid enough to actually go after him." Harry looked up at the head table. His father was in deep conversation with Moody and he didn't look too happy.

"Oh Harry, how could you do that to the professor? You're lucky he didn't do something more drastic," Hermione admonished.

"What have you guys heard about the break in?" Harry asked to change the subject. He wasn't about to tell his friends how Severus had backhanded him to the ground.

They spoke about the break in, then Harry filled them in about the special training he was supposed to start. Ron seemed a bit jealous that Harry was going to get private tutoring to learn cool spells. Harry promised he would teach him everything he learned though.

Harry was actually a little nervous about attending a one on one training with Mad Eye Moody. He didn't trust him or think the man was going to cut him any slack. He vowed to himself to stay current on any readings he was assigned by Moody, even if it meant hanging out with his friends less.

As they were leaving the Great Hall, Ginny ran up looking very cute with her hair pinned up on the sides.

"Hey Harry, welcome back!" Ginny gave Harry a quick hug. Harry could smell her freshly washed hair.

"Hi Ginny. Sorry about canceling this weekend. Severus was in a bad mood over something I did."

Ginny gave him a questioning look but luckily didn't ask about anything further.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Double Potions turned out to be a nightmare for the three Gryffindor. Snape was in a bad mood and Harry figured it was due to whatever conversation he had with Moody. Snape took points from every house except Slytherin. When Harry accidentally added too many blue bellied dragon scales and his potion started to smoke, Snape came storming over in a rage.

"Do you know how to read Potter?"

"Yes sir." Harry was trying not to give his dad any excuse to get mad at him after messing up so badly this past weekend.

"I expect better from you." Severus raised his wand and the entire potion disappeared. "Ten points from Gryffindor." Severus didn't say anything else but turned on his heel and strode to another impending disaster.

"What the bloody hell is eating him?" Ron asked.

"I think Mad Eye is grating on his nerves," Harry answered as he restarted his potion.

"I hope he doesn't act like this for the rest of the year," Ron said and pointed to Neville stuttering out an excuse about his potion turning black to the angry professor.

When potions class ended Harry decided not to stick around. He packed his book bag and headed out with his friends. Just as he made it to the door he heard his father's voice.

"Potter, get over here."

Harry gave his friends a look of frustration and turned back around to talk with Severus.

Severus waited until everyone had left before laying into his son. He walked around his desk and stood directly in front of him with his hands folded in front.

"Where was your head today? Do you know how many people are giving up their precious time to tutor you? I expect perfection and total concentration from this point forth. If I find out you've been anything less than first-rate you will suffer the consequences." Severus wasn't angry so much as being cautious for what the future held for Harry. He had just heard a report from Moody that Voldemort was offering a prize to anyone who brought Harry to him. Unbeknownst to Harry several more Aurors had arrived that morning to guard the school and most especially to guard Harry. The specialized training was his best defense.

Harry couldn't believe what a big deal Severus was making over this. He'd ruined tons of potions before and never been talked to like this. Maybe this whole special training thing was really getting to the professor.

"Sorry, I'll try harder Sir," Harry said and waited to be excused. He looked up at his father's face and thought he saw a flicker of regret.

"You may be excused."

After Harry left, Severus stood contemplating the task before them. So much was to be expected from the boy and he just didn't know if Harry was up to the task. Maybe McGonagall was correct in her assessment that Harry would rely on him to bail the boy out of trouble. It just bothered him the way that Harry seemed to be not focused today. Maybe he should step up the discipline a notch? Harry's life may very well depend on how much he could learn.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

After transfigurations class McGonagall called Harry over to her desk.

"Mr. Potter, I was disappointed that you were unable to transfigure that rock. I see no reason why you should not be able to focus and complete this. I am afraid that I will need to speak to Severus about your level of concentration," McGonagall held one of the granite rocks in her hand.

Harry hated hearing that Severus was going to be told. He didn't think it was fair because only five people in the class had been able to accomplish the task. He remembered Severus' warning from this morning. "Professor do you think I could have another go at it? I really don't want you to tell Severus."

McGonagall looked uncertainly at the rock in her hand but she relented and handed it over to Harry. "I do feel rather regretful over the incident with Professor Snape's sister. I apologize for not being more diligent with safety regarding you."

Harry nodded his head, not really accepting the apology but also not denying it. At this point he just wanted to put everything behind him.

Harry placed the rock on her desk and pulled his wand forth. He tried to occlude his mind of all other thoughts and just focus on the rock. He lifted his wand, "Cave canem!"

The rock grew a little hair but did not turn into a dog as it was supposed to. Harry tried again but this time it only grew a tiny tail. He panicked when he saw the professor starting to pack her bag to leave for supper. He knew that she would go straight to Severus and tell him.

He raised his wand again and this time not only imagined the dog in his mind but pushed forth the emotions he was feeling with force, "**Cave Canem**!" This time a large angry dog with silver matted hair stood barking on the desk.

McGonagall was caught off guard but quickly composed herself, "Very well done Mr. Potter. It seems that Severus may have a little more control over you than I once thought." She pulled her wand out and the dog vanished.

Harry followed her out to the hallway pleased that he would not get in trouble but a little put out over hearing the part about Severus having control.

During supper he looked up at the head table and Severus gave him a nod. He noticed that McGonagall had a small smile on her face. It bothered him to no end that she was trying to manipulate him by using Severus as a threat. The only problem was that it had worked. Just the thought of disappointing his father again made him try harder. He tried to push those thoughts out of his mind and finish his supper. He wanted to get started on all the reading he was required to do before Defense class tomorrow with Moody.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day Harry walked into DADA with Ron and Hermione and was immediately thrown back by a body blast. He scrambled up and pulled his wand out and saw that Ron and Hermione had their wands out too.

Harry never noticed that two Aurors in the hallway had also pulled their wands to protect him.

Everyone relaxed when they realized that it was Moody who had thrown the blast at Harry. That is, everyone except Harry relaxed.

Moody stood at the front of the class mocking, "Potter, how do you know there wasn't a Death Eater waiting for you in this room? Heh, ever thought to be on your guard?"

Harry kept his wand out but made his way to his seat, rubbing the back of his head where it had just been bumped. Everyone else was looking from him to the professor and back again, waiting expectantly for something to happen.

Moody went on with class as if nothing happened and hardly spoke more than a few words to Harry. When it came time for an example of the Warrior blast to be demonstrated, Harry already knew who the professor would choose before he was called up to the front.

Harry stood up on the raised platform and held his wand in front of him. He had practiced all evening long to get this block down without hesitation. When Moody threw the first Warrior blast his way it was soundly blocked with ease. This seemed to rub the professor the wrong way and he threw three consecutive blasts at Harry. Harry countered each one, feeling his energy drain and his block weakened.

The professor called up three students, all of them Slytherins, including Malfoy. He instructed them to practice the Warrior blast on Harry. He didn't give Harry any instruction on how to block them but just stood back to watch.

Harry was in ready position when the first blast hit. He easily blocked three more but was starting to feel weak. There was something about that block that was sucking the energy from him with each try.

The three Slytherins nodded to one another and sent the blast towards Harry in unison. The blast came towards him in a bright gold arrow with so much power that Harry could feel it before it hit. His block was up and he pushed as much energy as he could muster into it. He knew before the curse hit his block that the block wouldn't hold. He saw the arch of light pass through as if in slow motion and tried to step to the side to avoid getting hit. He lost his balance and was hit in the arm with a terrible stinging sensation. He grabbed hold of his arm and accidentally dropped his wand.

Malfoy yelled out, "**_Expelliarmus!_**"

Harry's wand went flying into the Slytherins hand. The whole class was shocked when Malfoy raised his wand again and pointed it down on Harry yelling out another Warrior blast.

Harry got hit in the side and rolled away to get up on his feet. He was barely conscience of the fact that Ron was up on his feet and blasted Malfoy before the teacher could stop him. It seemed as if all hell had broken loose with blasts flying all over the room. The weaker students ducked under the tables.

Silence fell when Moody stood up and yelled, "Wands away!"

He limped up to the raised platform and told everyone to take a seat. Harry shakily stood up but fell back down when his body would not cooperate. Moody walked over to him and pulled him up by the neck of his robe. "Take a seat," Moody growled.

Hermione came up to help Harry and said, "He needs to go see Madame Pomfrey, Professor."

"He'll wait until he's on his own time," Moody growled out and pushed Harry towards a chair.

When Harry walked by Malfoy he grabbed his wand out of the Slytherins hand. Malfoy smirked satisfactorily back at him.

Harry threw himself in his seat consumed with dark thoughts about Moody. He couldn't understand why the professor didn't at least show him why his block had failed. The man was more mental than he thought. So, was this what he had to look forward to everyday? Getting his ass kicked by Moody and Malfoy! This wasn't on. There was no way he was just going to walk up there like some victim and wait to get hexed! And what was that Warrior blast all about anyway? His arm stung like a hundred bees had just attacked it.

Moody interrupted his thoughts by using his block as a bad example of what not to do. Harry listened intently to hear what it was he should have done instead. The man never really gave any clue but continued on saying how bad the block was. Harry tried to hold his anger in check forcing himself not to look at Malfoy reenacting his last Warrior blast for his friends.

Moody stopped Harry on his way out, "Potter, make sure you tell Pomfrey what spell we were using. There's a special pain potion you'll need to take." Moody limped off without another word.

Harry's arm was so swollen he had to roll up his sleeve to give it more room. He dreaded going to see Pomfrey. He hadn't seen her since the kidnapping and still held a fair degree of anger towards her. The other option didn't make him too happy either. He could just see Severus' face when he told him how he got his ass kicked by Malfoy. The pain forced him to choose the dungeons and he decided facing his father's disappointment would be better than facing Pomfrey.

As he opened the Potion classroom door he heard his father berating someone and suddenly realized he had walked in on a class. He stopped and tried to step back out the door but was stopped by his father's cutting voice.

"Potter, stop lurking around the corridor and get in here." Severus watched his son take an unsure step back into the classroom. He was going to ask what Harry needed but caught sight of the grossly swollen arm that Harry tried to tuck back under his cloak.

"Um, I could come back Professor?" Harry asked hoping to avoid an audience of goggling fifth years.

"No, come," Snape pointed to the front of his desk. "Let me see what injury you've brought about now." Snape grabbed hold of Harry's arm and shook his head. "To what spell do you owe this to?"

"Moody was teaching a Warrior Blast," Harry said trying to ignore the stares.

"And you did not practice the counter shield beforehand?" Snape sounded bothered as if he had failed it himself.

"Yes sir, I did practice it," Harry said, then quickly added, "I blocked Moody's spell three times."

Snape raised an eyebrow as if contemplating the truth in that statement, "Your arm does not reflect that."

Harry wasn't about to tell him who had aimed the spell that caused his arm so much grief.

"Severus, I mean Professor, could I just get something for it?" Harry glanced back at the students behind him. They had all stopped brewing to listen. Bunch of nosey sods!

Severus went to a locked cabinet and pulled forth a green jar of cream. He handed the jar to Harry before commenting, "You may keep that since I believe you will need it in the future. You must take a special pain potion to do away with the pain that blast causes. Just a sip is needed."

Harry thought a pain potion fixing the sharp sting in his side and arm sounded pretty good.

His father handed him a vial with dark green liquid and put a hand on his arm, leaning in close so no one else could hear, "I have a feeling your training will become rather harsh . Be careful to only use this pain potion when it is most necessary. Never more than twice in a week as it is known to cause addiction."

Harry hesitated taking hold of the pain potion. Maybe he didn't need it after all? But he already knew he wouldn't last much longer with that kind of pain pulsing through his side and arm.

Severus pushed it back into his hand before saying, "Just use it sparingly and only when vital. I know exactly what the Warrior Blast feels like; I venture to guess that you could probably use this right now."

Harry grasped the vial and stuck it in his robe pocket, "Thank you sir. I guess I'll see you later then. Sorry to have disturbed your class."

"As I have conveyed previously, I insist that you come to me whenever you have a need. It matters not whether I am teaching or otherwise engaged. You come first," Snape said matter of fact before turning to face the class with a sneer.

Harry thought it was nice to have someone care so much but just wished he hadn't conveyed that in front of the whole friggin class! He tucked his head down as he heard snickers from some of the guys.

Harry walked up to Gryffindor Tower impatient to get the stinging to stop. By the time he was safely behind closed doors in his dorm his hands were shaking with the pain emanating from his arm and side. He pulled the vial out of his robe pocket and drank a small sip. It was almost like magic the way the pain ceased to exist. He stuck his fingers in the cream and rubbed it on his red swollen arm. Then he did the same to his ribs. He felt so much better, and slightly euphoric. The sensation made him feel good enough to want to practice that counter shield.

Ron found Harry up in their room, practicing the shield with a silly grin on his face. "What's so funny Harry? I'd have thought you would be mad over what that maniac Moody did to you?"

"Nope, I'm not going to let him get to me," Harry said feeling like he was on top of the world.

"That's a right good attitude to take. Well come on then, let's go eat," Ron looked at him with confusion. He couldn't figure out why Harry was so happy after just getting pummeled by Malfoy and Moody though.

Ron sat next to Hermione while Harry sat across from them next to Ginny. They talked about DADA class with Ron and Hermione telling Ginny how unfair the whole class had been.

Ginny kept her eyes on Harry thinking he wasn't acting like himself. He seemed to be a little disconnected. Harry caught her staring at him and gave her a lopsided grin. She looked down as she felt a flush creep to her cheeks. When she looked up again it was into Harry's eyes. He had never looked away and seemed to be studying her face with a far off look. Finally, after a long moment of being stared at she reached over to him and playfully punched his shoulder.

"What are you staring at? Do I have food on my face or something?" Ginny laughed at the look Harry gave her. He seemed to be caught off guard as if he hadn't meant to stare.

"Oh um, actually I was just thinking about how perfect you are," Harry reached out and pushed a stray hair off of Ginny's face.

Ginny didn't really know what to say to that, not that she had a chance to say anything since her brother rudely spoke up.

"That's my sister you're lusting after mate!" Ron growled out and stabbed his roast with his fork viciously.

Harry sat up and tried to focus on the conversation once again. His head was rather foggy but in a good way. He felt somewhat happy all of a sudden and wished he could go for a long walk around the lake with Ginny. It wasn't until he heard Ginny say 'yes' that he realized he had asked that question out loud.

Ron gave him a warning look which he shook off as he stood up and offered Ginny his arm. They could hear their friends making rude comments about what they were planning on doing on the walk but they both pretended not hear.

Once they were outside Ginny took hold of Harry's hand. "Harry you seem kind of funny tonight."

Harry looked down at her with a mischievous grin, "Why, because I feel like taking the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts outside for a walk?" He was actually surprised at his own boldness; it wasn't like him to say things like this out loud.

Ginny blushed again but then teased, "So you think I'm the most beautiful girl but only at Hogwarts? I didn't hear you say anything about Beauxbaton."

"That's because all the girls at Beauxbaton are so hideous that I didn't think it fair to compare you to them. They wouldn't stand a chance around someone like you," Harry said half serious.

"Good comeback Harry. I think hanging out down in the dungeons around all those Slytherins is rubbing off on you. They do know how to suck up with the best of them!"

By this time they were down by the lake. Harry took off his cloak and laid it on the ground so they could sit on it. The weather was a perfect with a soft breeze and just warm enough to not need a cloak. They sat down next to each other looking out over the Black Lake. Ginny leaned into Harry and looked up at him expectantly.

Harry felt bolder than he normally would have and knew it was due to that pain potion. He leaned his face towards Ginny's and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. He felt a rush of adrenaline shoot through his body. This was the first time he ever felt like that with anyone. He placed his hand behind her head and pulled her face towards his. This time they had a long deep kiss with both not wanting to end it.

Ginny looked into Harry's emerald green eyes as she traced her finger down his jaw line. He was so handsome, so amazingly handsome that she pulled him close this time and they kissed again. This time it was Ginny that held the back of his head, then ran her fingers through his unruly dark hair. Her heart leapt at the thought that they had actually kissed! She had liked him for years and had never thought it was going to happen, yet here they were.

Harry lay back on the cloak and looked up at the stars just appearing in the dark sky. He pulled Ginny down next to him and she rests her head on his shoulder with an arm draped across his chest. Harry ran his fingers down her long ginger hair and grabbed a handful to smell. It was just as he remembered from this morning, sweet with a little hint of vanilla.

She looked up at him and moved so she could kiss him again. As their lips touched she realized how soft his were. He kissed better than any of the other boys that she had been with.

They had no idea how long they had been down by the lake but knew it was longer than intended when they heard Hermione calling their names. They sat up quickly and looked behind them as Hermione rushed over.

"Harry, you are in so much trouble! Professor Snape said you had an appointment with him an hour ago and he's on the war path looking for you!"

"Oh Bloody Hell! I'm supposed to start special training in potions with him tonight. Shit! Did he look angry?" Harry asked as he stood up and helped Ginny to her feet. He scooped up his cloak and swung it over Ginny's shoulders.

Hermione looked approvingly at that but answered, "What do you think Harry?"

Harry leaned down and gave Ginny a quick peck on the cheek, "I'll see you later, I better run."

Hermione and Ginny watched as Harry sprinted across the grass up towards the castle.

Hermione didn't waste anytime in grilling her friend, "Sooo, what happened?"

Ginny laughed but wasn't about to kiss and tell, "Let's just say that the six year wait has been well worth it!"

Both girls squealed with laughter on their way up to Gryffindor Tower.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry stepped tentatively into Snape's dungeon quarters, looking around as if he might get the same body blast that Moody had given earlier. He spotted Severus sitting at the desk with his head bent over a stack of parchment. He stood in front of the desk, waiting to be noticed.

After several long uncomfortable minutes his father finally looked up with his face clearly reflecting disappointment.

"Our appointment was exactly seventy two minutes ago. I see you have all your limbs so I know you do not have a worthy excuse for being tardy. Would you like to profess justification?'

"No sir." Harry looked down not wanting to tell his father exactly what he had been doing.

Severus gave him a look of consternation, "Yes, I presumed as much. The potion I was planning on showing you this evening will take longer than I have time to give at this point. Since you show no remorse I feel an evening with Mr. Filch might be in order."

Harry looked up sharply as his father swept past him, "No, come on Dad."

Severus whirled around to look down on his son, "Do not try and get on my good side, because at this moment I do not have one. I will see you tomorrow after I have had time to reflect on a sufficient punishment. Try not to get hurt in Defence class tomorrow as I will be in a meeting with the Order. Now, you will find Mr. Filch in his office." Severus stalked to the laboratory door, slamming it closed behind him.

Harry stood in the middle of the room trying to figure out how he had forgotten the appointment and messed up so badly with his father. He really did feel horrible over missing it and wished he could make it up in some way. He pulled a piece of parchment out of the desk drawer and wrote a note to his father. He folded it and left it propped up on the desk so Severus would not be able to miss it.

On his way up to find Filch he thought about the brilliant evening he had with Ginny and found it put a smile back on his face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry rolled into bed just past two in the morning with aching hands and knees. He threw his glasses on the nightstand. He was so tired from scrubbing the prefect's two bathrooms and four school restrooms that he just flopped down on his bed fully dressed and closed his eyes. It seemed as if he had only been asleep for a few minutes when someone shook his shoulder yelling that it was time to get up.

Harry cracked one eye open and could see the blurry shape of Ron. He grabbed his glasses putting them on as he rolled out of bed. "Ron, why are you waking me up so early?"

"Harry, it's not early. You've already missed breakfast. If you don't hurry you're going to be late for Defence class."

"Oh, that will go over well with Moody!" Harry grabbed his change of clothes and headed for the bathroom. After a super quick shower he threw his clothes on and ran down to DADA class.

Ron and Hermione were waiting at the door for him with their wands out. Harry almost forgot about the surprise attack from yesterday but quickly pulled his wand out as well.

He threw up a fortress block as he walked through the door with Ron and Hermione following. The blasts came at him from all sides. The fortress block held but Harry had to plant his feet to avoid being knocked over from the force of the blasts.

He scanned the room spotting Malfoy, Goyle and Moody spread out strategically. Harry wasn't sure if they were done with the blasts so he held up his block until Moody spoke up.

"I suppose you do listen when it suits you. You may enter," Moody limped up to the platform and stood next to his desk. When all the students were seated he proceeded to tell everyone what block Harry had used and what other spells it was useful for.

Malfoy raised his hand, "Excuse me sir, but Potter never did learn the proper way to block the Warrior Blast. I would be willing to help out with that." Malfoy gave Harry a wicked grin.

"Very well then, Malfoy come on up to the front."

Malfoy strutted up to the platform pleased that he would get another free shot at Potter.

"Potter come on up then," Moody watched as Harry begrudgingly made his way up to the platform. The boy looked tired and worse for wear. Moody wondered what had happened to make him look so worn out.

"Wands up, you may begin," Moody watched Potter plant his feet and put the block up.

Malfoy angrily yelled out, "Bellatora!" The blast was spot on and hit Potter's block dead center.

Harry held the block but felt it draining his energy. The blast finally dissipated just as Malfoy yelled out another blast. This time Harry pushed all that he had into the block. He wavered for half a second but held on until the blast lost its energy. Just as the block ended Malfoy threw another blast. Harry hardly had any energy left and the block collapsed quickly. He was able to jump out of the way with only his arm getting slightly grazed by the blast. The pain was manageable but he still wished he hadn't gotten hit.

Moody watched with interest. He saw Potter struggling to hold on and knew before the shield collapsed that he would get hit. It was obvious that he hadn't grasped this block properly. He saw Malfoy's arrogant smirk and thought it might be time to put him in his place.

"Alright then Potter, I would like you to throw a Warrior blast at Malfoy," Moody watched Malfoy's face drain of color. "And be sure to put some power behind it."

Harry suddenly felt better and stood up straighter with his shoulders back. He planted his feet ignoring the pain from his arm, taking aim at Malfoy. "Bellatora!"

The blast came shooting out of Harry's wand almost buckling Malfoy's block. Malfoy looked a touch scared but held the block in place with effort. Soon the blast lost energy.

"Potter you need to put more feeling into the blast. Focus and try again." Moody knew this one would break the shield, he could tell by the way Malfoy barely held the last one.

Harry focused, remembering some of the horrible things Malfoy had said in the past. He raised his wand and this time yelled out, "BELLATORA!"

The blast broke clean through Malfoy's block and passed right through Malfoy's arm, hitting the wall behind him. The stones from the wall went flying through the classroom, leaving a huge crater in the stones. Harry put up the same block to shield the students in the class from getting hit with the stones and any residue left over from the spell. The shield effectively blocked his classmates as the stones hit the shield and fell to the ground.

After ducking the whole class were up on their feet cheering over such a spectacular display. Harry had his eyes on Malfoy as he watched the Slytherin squirm around on the ground holding his arm.

Moody was impressed with the power the boy had, "Very well done Potter! Now if you can just perform that well when it counts, then we will all be happy!"

Harry found it hard to find satisfaction with doing so well as he kept his eye on Malfoy in intense pain. He knew exactly what Malfoy was feeling right now. He looked up at the Professor hoping he would send Malfoy to the infirmary soon.

Moody watched as Malfoy sat nursing his arm, hissing out foul words under his breath. When he thought the boy was near tears he finally spoke up, "Alright then Malfoy, off you go to the infirmary. Potter escort him down."

Harry's eyes opened wider, "Um, do you think someone else might be able to take him, sir?"

"You hit him with the blast; you take him down to get healed. Now get going Potter."

Shit! The last person Harry wanted to see was Pomfrey! He grabbed hold of Malfoy's arm as the Slytherin began to wobble.

Malfoy pulled away roughly, "Get your filthy hands off Potter!"

They walked through the hallways silently. Malfoy was upset because he knew Pomfrey was going to have to tell his parents what happened. Just the thought of getting an owl from his father made Malfoy rethink the idea of going to the infirmary.

Harry was trying to think of a way to get out of walking Malfoy all the way into the infirmary. The last thing he wanted was Malfoy to witness the exchange between him and Pomfrey. Pomfrey was likely to let slip something regarding Vespa.

Malfoy looked at the Gryffindor, "Hey Potter, do you think Severus might have something to heal this instead of going to the infirmary?"

Harry remembered Severus' comment about being in an Order meeting during Defence. But then he smiled at his good luck, "Actually, Severus gave me some healing cream and potion yesterday after I got hit. I still have some up in my room."

The Slytherin looked dubious; he wasn't keen on the idea of taking a potion offered by Harry Potter. But the thought of getting an owl from his father made him take a chance.

"You better not be playing some trick on me Potter!"

Harry held both hands up, "I swear it's the same stuff Severus gave me yesterday."

They changed directions and headed up to Gryffindor Tower. Malfoy held his arm close, hissing with pain by the time they made it up to Gryffindor. They stopped in front of the fat lady and Harry turned to look at Malfoy.

"Um, do you want to come up or should I bring it out here?"

Malfoy looked as if he was ready to give a smart ass comment but changed his mind with the pain he felt.

"I don't care Potter. Just get me the bloody stuff!"

Harry knew the dorm would be empty for a while so he decided to have Malfoy come up to his room. He whispered the password to the Fat Lady and she let them in.

Malfoy stepped in and looked around contemptuously, "This place looks like my Grandma's parlor and it smells like it too."

Harry was in no mood to fight with the Slytherin, "Well, your Grandma must have a nice house then."

Harry led the way up the staircase to the sixth year dorm room.

"Hey Potter, what did Severus say when you told him I hit you with that Warrior Blast yesterday?' Malfoy had expected to be called in to get detention or something worse when Snape found out he had been the one to hurt his precious son. Severus hadn't said anything yet and Draco was wondering why.

Harry knew Draco was scared of Severus and thought he would put a little more scare into him, "Oh Merlin, he was mad! He said he was going to get you when you least expected it." The truth was Harry never did tell Severus who had hit him.

Draco's eyes got big and his voice got embarrassingly higher pitched, "He said that? Did he say what he was going to do?"

Harry smiled, "Nope, he just said he would 'take care of you', whatever that means." Harry almost felt sorry for the Slytherin, he looked like he was going to wet himself.

"Well, make sure to tell him that you hit me with the Warrior Blast today. Now we're even, you know."

Harry shook his head, "I don't think that's going to change anything for him."

Malfoy swallowed hard, "I've never seen Severus so bloody protective before. Do you know he made me clean the Slytherin bathrooms for hitting you during the last Quiddich game? I've never cleaned a damn thing my whole life and the man actually made me clean the toilets … and without magic!"

Harry smiled at the image of Malfoy on his hands and knees cleaning the toilets. "Well, it might make you feel better to know that I had to clean the toilets last night for being late to a potions lesson."

Malfoy raised his eyebrows, "He did that to you? I thought he treated you like a prince and bought you all kinds of stuff?"

Harry didn't reply to that. He saw the hoverboard on the floor and nudged it under the bed with his foot. He knelt down by his trunk and pulled out the healing cream and pain potion.

Harry handed the potion to Malfoy, "You're just suppose to take a small sip. I took it yesterday and felt like I had a couple of fire whiskeys, so just be careful."

Malfoy looked at the vial of green potion cautiously. He lifted the vial to his nose and sniffed, then twirled it in his fingers as if it were a glass of wine. "I don't know Potter. This could be anything. You _do_ room with Weasley, don't you?"

"Don't be such a chicken Malfoy. I didn't get it from a joke shop, Severus gave it to me."

Malfoy shook his head and handed it back to Harry, "No, I don't trust you Potter."

"Look, if I take a sip will you trust me then?" Harry was still feeling the sting from the blast that had slipped through his last shield, so he reasoned with himself that he actually did need the pain potion anyways. He pushed the warning Severus had given him yesterday to the back of his mind.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes, assessing the truth behind Potter's offer. "Alright, you go first."

Harry rolled his eyes at Malfoy's suspicious nature. He took a small sip and immediately felt the effects. Harry smiled stupidly at the Slytherin and raised the vial up to Malfoy's face, "its good stuff!"

Malfoy grabbed the vial and took a small sip. His head swam a bit but he felt really good. The stinging stopped and a big smile spread across his face. "Yeah, this is good stuff!"

Harry handed the Slytherin the cream. Draco stuck his fingers in and swiped a big glob across his red swollen arm. The swelling instantly went down. He capped the jar and handed it back, "Thanks."

"Yup, anytime," They both found that hilarious for some reason and started laughing. Harry didn't know why that struck him as so funny but he couldn't stop laughing. They both had tears coming down their faces as they held their stomachs and laughed. Harry had never seen Draco in such an unguarded moment before and suddenly found that funny as well.

Malfoy stopped laughing when he had a sudden brainstorm, "Hey Potter, do you wanna have a broom race?"

Harry couldn't think of any reason not to, "Brilliant idea Malfoy!"

They made their way down to the Quiddich pitch, stopping at the lockers to grab their brooms.

Malfoy set the rules, "Okay, first one to grab a pine cone from that tree," he pointed at the tallest tree on the edge of the forest, "and back to that statue," he pointed the opposite way to the statue on the far side of the field, "is the winner."

"That's too easy," Harry slurred out, "let's say you have to fly upside down and put the pinecone in the statue's hand."

Malfoy looked at the statue of Helga Hufflepuff with her arm raised and her hand cupped up to the sky.

"Alright, ready, steady, Go!" Malfoy yelled out before Harry even had a chance to mount his broom. The Slytherin was off and in the lead. He tucked his body low and headed straight for the tall pine tree.

Harry tried to catch up by tucking in low too. He knew his broom was slightly better than the one Malfoy rode. He caught up with the Slytherin when Malfoy hovered in the air to pick off a pine cone. Harry stopped right next to him, "Cheater!"

Malfoy grinned at the Gryffindor and flew away with his pine cone in his hand.

Harry grabbed his pine cone then headed for the statue.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile up in Dumbledore's office:

Dumbledore had called this meeting with Severus, Remus and Arthur to discuss Harry's training. He wanted to get their opinion on Harry's emotional state before the private Defence training was to begin. He didn't want to push the boy past his capacity and risk hurting the boy's fragile emotional state. He also knew that these three men probably knew Harry's state of mind better than anyone else. They all had to take under consideration the severe abuse the boy had suffered and what that had done to him emotionally.

Severus was slightly put out that Lupin had been invited to join them. In his opinion Lupin had his chance to be a father to the boy and had shirked his duties in the past. As far as he was concerned, Lupin lost any say in what happened to Harry in the future.

Remus was upset because he felt that Severus had not been helping Harry heal from the abuse in a more timely matter. He couldn't believe that Severus had not been forcing the boy to reveal more about what had happened to him. And worse still he thought that Harry was relying on Snape for everything, both emotionally and physically.

"You know what Harry is doing don't you? He's pushing all that abuse down, trying forget it ever happened and you're aiding in that Severus. He's starting to rely on you for direction on everything instead of thinking for himself!" Lupin said accusingly.

Severus refused to lose his temper with the werewolf, "Oh yes Lupin, what would you have me do? Perhaps send him to Muggle therapy?"

Lupin looked surprised at that suggestion but thought maybe it was a sound idea.

"Maybe, if it would help."

Dumbledore folded his hands neatly on his desk, "Remus why do you feel that Harry is suppressing his feelings regarding the Dursley's and relying on Severus too heavily?"

Severus raised an eyebrow and said sarcastically, "Yes, please do tell?"

Remus sat up straighter and looked the Headmaster in the eye, fully realizing he was not addressing Snape.

"I have witnessed some rather unsettling behavior from Harry. He seems to be acting far younger than a normal sixteen year old. For instance, when he was recovering from his recent kidnapping he cried out several times for his father. I'm not so sure he even meant Severus but as soon as Severus held him he quieted down. It was rather bothersome to witness a boy of that age being comforted in the same way a ten year old might be."

Severus sat frozen to his chair, afraid to speak lest he lose his temper. Of course the boy needed comfort!

"For goodness sakes Albus, you witnessed the way Harry relies on Severus! You saw it first hand at the last Order meeting. Severus had total control over every move the boy makes and Harry lets it happen. Just think about it; the way Harry was made to apologize, the way he was forced to sneak into the room instead of being a part of the meeting to begin with. Did you see the way Harry fell asleep leaning on Severus during the meeting? That behavior shows a definite regression in maturity. I feel that Harry is relying on Severus for everything. That is not the actions of a son of James Potter!" Lupin was shaking by the time he finished.

Albus breathed deeply, "Remus the last time we spoke you thought Lilly would be pleased with this arrangement. What has happened to change your mind since the Order meeting?"

Lupin looked down at his hands then back up directly at Severus, "He's changed. Harry's changed so much. He used to be like James but now … he just isn't. I feel he is afraid to do anything wrong that might displease Severus."

Severus checked his emotions before speaking, "Lupin, I don't suppose you have taken into account the boy's past six months? He watched his Godfather die and took that guilt on his own shoulders. He suddenly started to get beaten by the only family he has ever known. Which just happened to coincide with the death of Black which made him feel as though he deserved the punishment. He was poisoned and came very close to losing his life. He was kidnapped and almost died when creatures scarier than yourself when you are in wolf form, came after us and actually bit him. Not to mention Voldemort's lovely dreams. Now, what do you think happens to a mind when it is tortured in that way?"

Severus watched as Lupin looked away.

Severus spoke up without waiting for a reply, "When a sixteen year old boy has his life and emotions ripped to shreds like Harry has, he is in desperate need to have it built up again. It begins by showing him that he is worthy of being loved, that he is worthy of being cared for including being disciplined and that he is worthy of being allowed to do it in his own time. I know he has been relying on me to help him through his tortured dreams but I gladly accept that role. He is far too young to be made to endure that by himself. I don't think you realize what he sees in those dreams. And as far as the physical aspect in concerned, I know I am doing the right thing. Yes, it may seem as if Harry seeks out fatherly physical contact more than another sixteen year old might but that is only because he was so deprived of having it for so long. Harry continues to need the reassurance that he will still get it without being turned away. Do you know what he grew up hearing?"

Lupin shook his head again and Severus answered, "He grew up hearing that he was such an abomination that he was not worthy of being touched. That touching him might actually cause his family harm. Can you imagine what that must sound like to a five year old boy? So, you will have to excuse the '_unsettling behavior' _from Harry but as far as I am concerned he may seek comfort from me anytime he is in need. I am the first father he has had that he can remember and I will not turn him away because it seems '_immature_' for a boy of sixteen to need support."

Lupin looked back at Severus with tears in his eyes, "I had no idea his family told him that."

"That was not the worst of what his family made him believe. He is an amazing young man to have weathered all that he has this past year and I could not be more proud of him if he were my own flesh and blood. But make no mistake Lupin; he is still James' son. I feel fortunate to be given the opportunity to be a father to the boy but I know what the Potter's gave to get him this far. I will not let Harry forget who his real father is."

Arthur spoke up in a choked voice, "There is room for more than one person to claim the title of Father to Harry. Severus you are a true father to that boy and he knows it. He would not trust you as he does unless he realized that for himself. Even more profound is the love he shows for you. He knows for certain that you will be there for him always. I am proud of his emotional recovery and I know you are largely responsible for that."

Severus felt a lump in his throat and tried to swallow it. He knew how much Harry loved him.

Albus knew that Severus was Harry's best chance at having a good life. "Severus do you feel that Harry would be able to emotionally handle the challenges of an excelled Defence training?"

"Yes, with support and extra encouragement I do feel that it would be beneficial. It will provide him the best chance against Voldemort," Severus answered.

Albus looked towards Lupin now, "Remus, do you have any other concerns regarding Harry's advance Defence training?"

Lupin looked towards Severus then back at the Headmaster, "I just want to make sure he continues making progress emotionally. He has been through so much."

"I agree," Severus commented. The three other men looked at Severus with surprise.

"I plan on discussing his past with him in a more efficient manner. I too wish for him to heal from his past history," Severus said while looking at Lupin, then at Dumbledore. He noticed how Dumbledore's attention was on something outside his window. Severus stood up and walked towards the window to see what had the Headmaster so enthralled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry caught up with Malfoy and they reached the statue at exactly the same time. They both flipped upside down and tried to stick their pinecone in the statues hand. Malfoy tried to push Potter out of the way using his foot to kick the back of Harry's broom.

Harry hung on tight with one hand and almost let his pinecone drop into the statues hand when he felt his broom being kicked. He pushed back against Draco with his shoulder. Both boys' were oblivious to being watched by all four men in Dumbledore's office.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Now all four men stood at the big window overlooking the vast lawn area.

"What in the world do you think they are doing?" Arthur said as he laughed at the sight below.

"It looks like some sort of contest," Lupin answered and tried to cover up his own chuckle.

Severus did not find the scene quite so funny, "Both boys are scheduled to be in Moody's class at this moment. Dobby!"

The house elf popped into the Headmaster's office, "Yes Master?"

"Dobby, go down to the lawn and tell Potter and Malfoy that I wish to see them in my quarters immediately!" Severus said in a severe tone.

Dobby popped out of the room and the four men watched as the house elf tried to gain the two boy's attention down on the lawn.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry had his pine cone poised over the statue when he noticed Dobby jumping and waving his arms frantically below. Malfoy took that opportunity to push Harry out of the way and drop his pine cone in the hand of Helga Hufflepuff.

"Winner! Better luck next time Potter!" Malfoy noticed the house elf at that moment.

Both boys flipped right side up and landed beside the frantic house elf.

"Master Snape's wishes you both in his quarters!" Dobby blurted out.

The boys looked at each other in dread. Harry asked, "Dobby how does Severus know we are out here?"

Dobby pointed up to Dumbledore's Tower. Both boys looked up the tower until they spotted all four men in the window.

"Bollocks!" Malfoy exclaimed.

The boys walked silently down to their doom.

Harry finally spoke up as they reached the dungeon door, "How much you wanna bet that we're scrubbing the loo again?"

Malfoy looked pained as he answered, "I would take that bet except I have a bad feeling you would win."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TBC

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I think I will continue with a very long fic instead of starting a sequel.


	38. Chapter 38 Bellatora

Bellatora-

Harry and Draco went in to the professor's quarters expecting to be reprimanded upon entry. They were both relieved when they realized the professor was not in the room yet. Draco paced nervously in front of the desk while Harry plopped down on the sofa.

"Calm down Malfoy, what do you think Severus is going to do to you anyway?" Harry asked as he put his feet up on the coffee table and accioed his gold Snitch.

Draco watched the Gryffindor taking swipes at the tiny ball with wings, wishing he could feel that relaxed. If his father found out about Potter and the race he knew he would be in serious trouble. Even though his father was in Azkaban, Lucius still had enough connections in the Wizarding world to make his life hard.

"You mean to tell me you're not just a little nervous? Severus is not exactly the most understanding teacher I know," Malfoy said and took a swipe at the gold ball as it fluttered by his face.

Harry shrugged, feeling braver than he normally would have due to the effects of the pain potion.

Just then the Professor made a dramatic entrance coming through the floo with his black robes billowing and an angry scowl on his face. He spotted his son and immediately said, "Explain yourself."

Harry quickly took his feet off the coffee table, "I had to take Malfoy to get pain potion for the Warrior Blast that I hit him with and then I guess we got a little side tracked." Harry watched the Professor's face become even darker with anger.

Severus was appalled at the lack of regret the boy showed. He knew how important the Defence classes would be if Harry was ever to be captured or in another fight with Death Eaters. The boy seemed utterly oblivious to that fact.

"You missed Defence class to race on your brooms? Has it ever occurred to you that Moody is here specifically to teach you how to fight? Is there no brain in that hollow head of yours!" Snape caught sight of Malfoy snickering. He rounded on him in a flash.

"Mr. Malfoy, do you think your father will find this funny?" Snape watched as the pale boy turned even paler.

Severus pointed to his desk, "Sit. I want you to write a letter to your father explaining the escapade you pulled today."

"Severus, can't you just give me detention or something?" Draco asked with anxiety.

Malfoy dragged his feet to the desk, and sat down as he begrudgingly dipped the quill into ink.

Snape turned his attention back to his son. "I can understand Draco's lack of judgment due to the pain potion but you have absolutely no excuse Harry!"

Harry looked down quickly as he ran his hand through his hair. He looked up when he heard his father's sharp tone.

"Harry, did you take the pain potion as well?"

Harry didn't want to admit that he had taken it, not after that warning from yesterday.

"No sir." Harry answered then saw Draco look up sharply and shake his head over the lie he just told.

Severus began to think he was being too lenient with the boy, just as Moody had suggested.

"Harry, I am at a loss. I should think you would be eager to learn Defence with a teacher like Moody."

"Severus, he was just teaching the Warrior Blast again. He taught the same thing yesterday," Harry complained.

"So you feel that you are above this particular lesson do you? Perhaps you feel that you are already equipped to handle an attack using that curse?" Severus questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Harry wished he hadn't seemed so confident now. He watched as all the furniture in the room disappeared except the desk and chair Malfoy was using.

Severus walked to the opposite side of the room planning on establishing the veracity of his son's statement.

"Raise your wand."

Harry raised his wand, readying himself for the lesson his father was planning on teaching him. He watched as Severus cast the Warrior Blast his way. His shield went up for a split second before the blast broke through and hit him on the shoulder. He dropped his wand and grabbed his shoulder.

Severus stood completely dumbfounded over the demonstration his son showed to defend himself. He couldn't imagine how this boy could possibly defend himself against Death Eaters, let alone Voldemort!

Harry stood in humiliation over his pathetic shield. Why didn't the shield hold? He picked his wand up ready for the next attack.

"I do not wish to harm you again. Perhaps another lesson on exactly how to hold that block up is in order?"

"No, I know how. I'm not sure what happened the last time but I've held up that shield before," Harry said sounding much more confident than he felt.

Severus shook his head before throwing another Warrior Blast towards his son. This time he watched the shield go up but with so little strength that it didn't even slow the blast down. The blast struck Harry on the same exact spot as the previous one had.

"Ouch! What the bloody hell are you trying to do, kill me?" Harry yelled as he rubbed his shoulder.

Draco watched the scene before him, expecting Severus to pummel Potter after being talked to like that.

The professor walked towards his son with fury, "I am utterly appalled! That shield was pathetic Potter!"

The Potion Master stopped before Harry, trying to piece together the reason why Harry had been so weak. It all boiled back down to the pain potion. That particular pain potion would make holding up this shield nearly impossible.

"I am going to ask you one more time. Harry, did you take the pain potion today?"

Harry looked away but answered, "No sir."

Severus knew he was lying by the way he wouldn't meet his eyes. He grabbed Harry's chin, forcing the boy to look up.

Harry tried to pull away as his father delved into his memories, searching out the lie that was fresh in his mind. The pain potion made it impossible to occlude his thoughts.

"Get out!" Harry yelled out and pushed the professor's hand away from his chin.

Severus had seen all that he needed. He knew Harry had just lied to him and had indeed taken the pain potion unnecessarily. Did this boy ever stop to think of the consequences of his actions? He didn't trust himself to be this close to his son when he was this angry.

"Get to your room! I will deal with you once I have thought of an appropriate punishment for lying and skipping class, not to mention using the pain potion unnecessarily." Severus hissed out shoving the boy towards the hallway.

Harry stumbled back, catching his balance. He then went storming off to his room, slamming the door.

He couldn't believe how the professor was acting. All he had done was to have a little race! Having a parent at the school was turning out to be quite problematic. Other than the occasional howler, no one else had to worry about getting punished by their parents during the school year.

His shoulder hurt but not nearly as much as it would have if he hadn't taken the pain potion. He stood in front of the mirror to get a better look at his reddened shoulder. The mark left from the blast covered his entire shoulder with an angry red swollen welt.

Severus walked into his son's room and saw him standing in front of the mirror inspecting his wound. He felt regretful that he hadn't been aware of the fact that Harry had taken the pain potion. If he had known that he never would have tried to teach him the shield. It wasn't possible to hold that shield while under the influence of that particular pain potion.

"Perhaps you will think twice before lying to me in the future," Severus admonished as he walked towards Harry with healing balm. "However, I feel you should know that I never intended for the blast to break through your shield. I only sent a mild blast, ignorant of the fact that you had taken the pain potion. It is nearly impossible to hold that shield in place while under the influence of that particular pain potion."

Harry turned around, facing his father. He eyed the healing balm longingly, "It's okay. Sorry I lied."

"Is that the extent of your apology?" Severus asked and handed the healing balm to Harry.

"No sir. I'm sorry I didn't go back to Defence class too."

Severus hoped Harry truly was sorry but had his doubts. He noticed his son had not mentioned any regret for taking the pain potion.

"Taking that potion more than twice in a week will surely cause a desire for more. I have witnessed this potion bring far bigger men than yourself into the throes of addiction," Severus explained. "As a matter of fact I want you to sleep down here for the next couple of days so I can keep a closer eye on you."

Harry thought this was going a little overboard. There was no way he was going to let himself become addicted to anything. He had too much going on in his life to be dealing with that stuff. He thought about objecting but knew he was already in enough trouble and didn't want a new argument on his hands.

"Yes sir."

"We will continue with the Defence lesson I was trying to teach you tomorrow. Until further notice you are required to come straight back to the dungeons as soon as class ends. There will be no Quiddich or riding of brooms for the foreseeable future. Do I make myself clear?"

Harry stood with his mouth open, not believing his ears. He was grounded!

"Close your mouth Potter. Any objections will add more days to your punishment. Now, do I make myself clear?"

"But, it was just a race …" Harry tried to argue.

"You have just added another day to your confinement," the professor said in a matter of fact tone as he walked to the door.

Harry kicked at his trunk, "Yes sir."

Severus looked back at his son, "I must say that I feel rather distressed over the lies you felt the need to tell me. I thought we had developed a far stronger relationship based on respect and trust."

Harry went from being angry to feeling like an idiot. He had never really thought his lie would hurt his father but looking up and seeing Severus' eyes made him think he had done just that.

"Severus, I do respect you and trust you. I shouldn't have lied," Harry offered lamely. It seemed far little to say after all the rotten things he had done in the past week.

"I have ordered lunch for us. Will you be joining me?" Severus wanted to make sure he kept an eye on Harry for the next few hours and thought lunch was a good excuse to keep the boy around. He knew the potion was not yet out of Harry's system, making him vulnerable to the idea of more.

"Yeah, lunch sounds good," Harry answered, not feeling the least bit hungry but not wanting to leave his father on such bad terms.

When Harry followed Severus out into the dining room he was surprised to see Malfoy still sitting at the desk writing his letter. The Slytherin looked lost in thought as he scratched away at the parchment.

"Draco, I have ordered lunch, would you like to stay?" Severus asked.

Draco looked ready to decline but spotted the table filled with gourmet foods.

"Yeah, I'll stay. That food looks better than the slop they serve in the Great Hall."

"Gee we're honored," Harry said sarcastically as he sat down across from his father.

He looked at the food with aversion, not thinking the snails looked very appetizing at all. He watched Draco and Severus place several snails in a bowl and begin to eat them. Harry's stomach protested so he looked down at his own empty plate. He put a small amount of chicken and vegetables on it, hoping Severus wasn't paying him any attention. He knew how thin he was and exactly how Severus felt about nutrition.

Draco was talking enthusiastically about the new Quiddich store that was opening in Hogsmeade.

"I saw an advertisement on a pair of gloves they are going to be selling. The gloves make it virtually impossible to fall off your broom while you have one hand holding on."

"Harry, I am buying you those as soon as possible," Severus declared matter of factly.

Harry rolled his eyes at the obvious put down, "Gee Dad thanks."

This made Draco laugh hysterically, for some reason he found it hilarious. His laugh was contagious and Harry couldn't stop himself from joining along. Severus looked at the two boys as if they were mad.

When the laughter finally died down Draco spoke up first, "So Potter, I bet you're going to the new Quiddich shop on Hogsmeade day?"

"Yeah, that's the first place I'm going," Harry answered but noticed his father shaking his head. "What?"

Severus was hoping to postpone this conversation but thought he should let the boy know before he began making plans, "No Harry, you may not go. The Order does not feel it is safe for you to be wandering around town."

Harry looked indignant, "Since when does the Order have any say over when and where I go?"

Draco looked down at his plate, not wanting to get mixed up in this conversation. By now the whole wizarding world knew about The Order and Draco knew that his father was not held in high esteem.

Severus looked towards Draco then back at Harry, "You would not be safe in the streets of Hogsmeade. I will not take that chance with you."

"Severus what do you want to do, keep me locked up at the school the rest of the year? What's the big deal anyways?"

"The big deal is that you are number one on the Dark Lords most wanted list and I have no intention of letting him lay hands on you," Severus said as calmly as he could.

"But, I have to go. Ginny's birthday is coming up and I want to get her something. Besides all my friends are counting on me going."

"Your friends will understand. You may order something nice for Ms. Weasley from my jeweler. I will open an account for you."

Harry snorted with contempt over the suggestion, "No way, I'm not getting her jewelry. Severus, why can't you just let me be like everyone else for once?"

"Because as much as I would like you to have a normal teenage life it has become quite clear that you are not like everyone else. The sooner you realize that the better off you will be. This conversation has run its course," the Potion Master folded his napkin and placed it next to his plate.

Before Harry could protest further the floo lit up and Moody's head appeared. Both Harry and Draco stiffened at the sight of the teacher.

"Severus may I have a word in my office?" Moody asked in his gruff voice.

"Certainly," Severus said. When he walked by Harry he flicked his wand and more food appeared on the Gryffindor's plate.

Once Severus was gone Harry dumped the food back onto the platter.

Draco shook his head, "I never thought I'd see the day Snape acts like a nurse maid. Bloody hell Potter, he's worse than my mum!"

Harry wasn't sure if he should get angry at Malfoy or laugh. He'd been thinking along those same lines himself.

Draco looked towards the fire before whispering, "Just use that invisibility cloak you used a couple years ago to sneak down to Hogsmeade."

Harry remembered their encounter from third year. Draco had been picking on Hermione and Ron and Harry had used his invisibility cloak to scare him. It was hard to believe they had so much fun together today when he remembered back to that day.

"Yeah, I guess I could but I hate to lie to Severus again," Harry said thinking out loud.

"Oh yeah, that was pretty stupid to lie to him about the pain potion. Why did you lie anyways?" Draco asked.

"I dunno, I wish I hadn't though," Harry turned back around when he heard the flames in the floo shift. He watched Severus come back into the room with an odd smile on his face.

Draco saw the smile too, "What's made you so happy Severus?"

Severus walked up to the table and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, "It seems that Moody was quite impressed with the excellent display you showed today Harry. He seems to think your potential is boundless. He actually showed me the wall your blast hit and plans on leaving it there to show others."

"I can attest to the power he has, seeing that the blast went straight through my arm!" Draco declared with attitude.

Harry mumbled out, "Sorry."

"Yes, I can only imagine the pain that would cause," Severus said a little too enthusiastically to Draco's liking. "I am quite pleased to hear you have not been performing at the same level I witnessed today. Quite pleased indeed."

Harry thought he would take the chance and ask, "Pleased enough to let me go to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

Severus contemplated the request before offering, "I will talk with the Order tomorrow evening regarding your request. I suggest you keep yourself out of trouble until then."

"Yes sir," Harry said with hope.

Severus narrowed his eyes at his son before saying, "Besides I fear you will use that invisibility cloak of yours and try and sneak into Hogsmeade if I deny you."

Both boys looked at each other with alarm. How did the professor know they were just talking about that?

Severus took hold of Malfoy's letter and locked it in his desk drawer. "I will hold on to this and the next time you step out of line it will be owled that same day to Azkaban."

"Thank you," came the relieved voice of the Slytherin.

"You boy's best get going to class."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry did his best to stay out of trouble the rest of that day. He went to afternoon classes then went back down to the dungeon after supper. His friends seemed to think being grounded was a far cry better than doing detention with Filch. Harry actually didn't mind hanging out with his Dad in the evening.

Now that he was used to it, the dungeon actually made him feel at home. Harry enjoyed the roaring fire and serenity compared to the noisy sounds of the Gryffindor common room. The only thing he missed was Ginny and thought he would take a chance and ask Severus if she could come down.

He waited until he was finished with his homework before approaching the professor.

"Professor, can I ask you a question?"

The professor looked up from the papers he was grading. "Yes, you _may_."

"Erm, does my confinement exclude having friends over? I was just wondering if I could ask Ginny down tomorrow night to dinner and to study?"

After a long moment the professor finally answered, "If you do well in class tomorrow without further incident then I believe it would be fine to have Ms. Weasley join us for supper."

"Thanks," Harry said as he gathered up his books and headed for bed.

He had Charms, Double Potions then a private Defence lesson with Moody. Harry knew his father would be apprised of everything that happened in that lesson so he vowed to do his best. It had made him feel good when Severus had come back from his meeting with Moody earlier and complimented his accomplishments in Defence. He had never had anyone care how he did in class before.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that night, Harry was in a deep sleep when Voldemort attacked with ferocity. He could see the evil beast torturing a Muggle man. Harry quickly tried to build up the blocks protecting his thoughts but it didn't seem to be working as well as it had in the past. He could see everything happening in this particular torture session and tried with everything he had to close his mind to Voldemort. He must have screamed out because suddenly he was startled awake.

When he was awake he had more control of his occlumency skills and built the walls with ease. Now the only problem was he didn't want to go back to sleep and let Voldemort back in. Getting up quietly, he paced around the dungeon bedroom, grateful he wasn't in the Gryffindor Tower. Finally feeling as if he would fall asleep on his feet he made his way into the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face and thought about taking a cold shower to wake himself up. He could feel his scar pulsing with pain and knew the torture session was not through yet. Thinking the shower might wake his father up he decided to go into his room and pace some more.

On his way back to his room he stopped in front of his father's bedroom door to listen and see if he had awoken the professor. While he was standing silently in front of the closed door he noticed the pain in his scar had lessened dramatically. Was it possible that Severus really was helping him to block out his visions? He had slept on the sofa in the professor's room before and it certainly had worked to keep Voldemort out of his dreams. But, that had been when he was sick and still had the poison running through him, so he hadn't felt so self conscious about sleeping in his father's room. He didn't want Severus to think he needed to do that every night just to catch a few hours of peace. But the other option was to continue pacing in his room and he knew he needed the sleep to do well in his lessons tomorrow.

Finally he decided to just stay where he was out in the hallway. He sat down leaning up against the wall with his legs stretched out before him. He let his eyes close, feeling the barrier still there that he was sure came from his father. He quickly fell into a peaceful deep sleep.

Early the next morning, he was awoken to the sounds of his father getting out of bed. Harry quickly stood up and made his way back to his own room. He was glad that the barrier his father offered had worked so well without having to alert Severus that he was actually using it.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Classes went well that day with a successful potion. He and Hermione had made the freezing draught with ease. The studying he had done last night paid off and Hermione complimented his knowledge, which was a rare occurrence. When Draco passed by his table he gave him a quick nod and Draco nodded back. Other than that they didn't talk again.

Ron and Hermione walked Harry to Defence class, stopping just outside the door.

"Do you want us to go in with you?" Ron asked but Harry could tell he really didn't want to.

"No, it's okay. I feel pretty good today," Harry said as he threw up his block before opening the door. Ron and Hermione stepped away from the door looking back to see if Harry had been hit with anything. The last they saw he walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

Harry saw Moody sitting calmly behind his desk so he lowered his block. Moody smiled at him and called him over to the desk.

"Vigilance boy, constant vigilance will get you through this war. Now, how bout you show me that Warrior Blast one more time."

Harry waited until the professor was in place and had his wand held before him. He felt the energy build around him before yelling out, "BELLATORA!"

The blast was dead on, hitting the professor's block in the center. The energy from the blast was so strong that the professor had to use both hands to hold onto his wand. Moody held tight but knew his block was doomed when he saw the middle buckle inward. He stepped aside just before the blast broke through the block and hit his desk. Wood splinters went flying in all directions.

"Oh bloody hell, I didn't mean to do that sir," Harry said but the professor's big grin made him stop apologizing.

"Now that is the way to throw that blast! Ten points to Gryffindor!" Moody exclaimed. "Now, get yourself ready because I'm going to return the favor." Moody stood with his wand pointing at Harry. "The problem with your shield is that you are pushing your own energy into the shield. You need to gather energy outside of yourself. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded his head as he closed his eyes, pulling energy from the room. It was much easier gathering energy from the room than pushing his own into the shield. He felt his block was solid and opened his eyes to find Moody aiming the blast his way. When the blast hit, Harry hardly even felt a ripple in his shield. He decided to try something different and pushed the energy back out with a snap. The blast ricocheted off the shield bouncing back and hitting Moody in the arm.

Moody was so stunned that he dropped his wand, a mistake he hadn't made since his days in training. Harry took that moment to call forth, "Expelliarmus!" Moody's wand came flying to Harry's out stretched hand. Harry looked at the wand with amazement before he felt a heavy hand patting his shoulder.

"Congratulations! That's the first time I've ever seen that blast thrown back! Brilliant move boy! Another ten points to Gryffindor." the ex Auror claimed as he took his wand back.

They practiced variations of that blast and shield for the next two hours. When they finished up it was almost time for Harry to meet Ginny for supper in the dungeon. Moody gave Harry a heavy pat on the back and told him to keep up the good work.

Harry left the room feeling better than he had in a long time. He had actually been surprised when the blast ricocheted and flew back to hit Moody. He could feel his magic getting stronger as the lesson wore on.

When he got to the dungeons he barely had enough time to shower and change into fresh clothes. The lessons had been more grueling than a Quiddich match.

Harry was ready just as the doorbell rang. He opened the door to see the Ginny standing before him in a pair of jeans and a tight fitting pink t-shirt. Her hair was pulled up on the sides with the same little butterfly clasps that she had worn to the dance. Harry couldn't take his eyes from her. He was exceedingly happy he had her all to himself for the evening. They gave each other an awkward hug not really sure how to act around each other now that they had kissed.

Harry led her into the living room and they sat down on the sofa. Severus came up from the laboratory and found the teens sitting side by side.

"Good evening Ms. Weasley. I trust you found the apartment with ease this time?'

Ginny blushed as she remembered the last time she had come down and passed the door three times.

"Yes sir, I found it the first try. My Dad said that he's coming over this evening for an Order meeting. Do you mind if I stay to say hello to him?"

"Not at all. You would be most welcomed," Severus replied honestly. "The meeting will begin at eight o'clock, perhaps you two should study in Harry's room at that time?"

Harry sat up straighter, "Um, if it's okay with you Severus, I would rather attend the meeting?"

Severus shook his head, "I think not. Or do you forget the last meeting you attended?"

"Yeah, and I'm glad I did attend. If not I would have been shipped off to some secret location!"

Ginny looked up at him with concern. Harry shook his head, letting her know not to worry.

"I never would have let that happen. You must learn to trust that I will watch out for your best interest," Severus admonished as he flicked his wand and the table filled with supper.

"Severus, just answer one question for me … is this meeting regarding me?"

Severus knew where this was leading to but answered honestly, "I suppose we will have a fair amount of discussion regarding your safety and progress."

Harry stood up and held a hand out to help Ginny stand before turning back to look at his father.

"Severus, you ask that I act like an adult but then you treat me as if I am still a child. If this meeting is about me then I want to there."

The boy did have a point but Severus found it hard to admit that he wanted to keep Harry sheltered just a bit longer. The last meeting had brought about so many negative comments that he wished his son had never heard. In the end none of that talk made any difference anyways. Severus knew he had the final say over what his son did and he wasn't about to let the Order members dictate otherwise.

"Very well. If you must then you may attend. However, if you so much as raise your voice at one of the members you will end up locked in your room. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," Harry said feeling relieved to have a say on his future.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TBC


	39. Chapter 39 Emotions Unfold

39 - Emotions Unfold

Harry and Ginny sat down on the floor before the big coffee table and spread their homework out before them. Severus stayed at the dining room table grading papers, just far enough away to give them a little privacy.

They started on their Charms homework before Harry got up enough courage to invite Ginny into Hogsmeade.

"Ginny, do you want to go with me into Hogsmeade this weekend? We could have lunch and do a little birthday shopping for you," Harry asked.

Ginny couldn't think of anything she wanted more for her birthday than to be with Harry, "Sure that sounds lovely, but you don't have to get me anything for my birthday." She leaned in close to Harry and gave him a little kiss on the lips.

Harry glanced over at Severus and noticed he couldn't see them from the chair he was sitting on. Harry slipped his hand around Ginny's waist and pulled her close. He ran his fingers up her back resting his hand on the back of her head, while he kissed her deeply.

She responded by running her hands up Harry's chest and wished they had more privacy. She thought it a bit risky to be snogging with the professor so close. She soon forgot about the risk they were taking and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck.

"Harry, I can't believe how happy I am," Ginny confessed with a small giggle.

Harry felt the same way and pulled Ginny onto his lap. She tucked her head under his chin and he just held her for a little while, breathing in her fresh vanilla scent and feeling her silky hair tickle his chin. He felt happier than he had ever remembered. He leaned back a little more against the sofa and she looked up into his emerald eyes.

"Ginny you really are beautiful," Harry declared with uncharacteristic boldness. He couldn't help himself from telling her. She raised her mouth up to his and they kissed once again.

Unfortunately that was the moment the doorbell rang and Severus walked through the living room to get the door. He stopped when he saw them in a rather intimate embrace not quite sure what he should do. He chose to ignore them for the moment and speak to Harry once his study date was over.

Nevertheless, Ginny scooted off of Harry and faced the table, grabbing a book as a deep blush crept up her cheeks. Harry smiled at her shyness but also moved a little further away. It probably wasn't the most appropriate behavior when his father was practically in the same room. He already knew he would get a lecture before the night was out.

Severus opened the door surprised to find Lupin and Moody. The meeting wasn't supposed to start for another half hour.

"Please come in," Severus offered hoping an emergency had not come up but the look on Lupin's face made him think one had.

"Is there someplace we can talk in private?" Moody asked as he spotted the Gryffindor at the coffee table.

Harry stood up, "We could study in my room if you want?"

Severus looked dubious at that offer but nodded his approval.

The Gryffindor packed up their books and headed out of the room. Remus stopped Harry and gave him a one armed hug, "Good to see you, son."

Harry stiffened up at the hug, still not quite over their last encounter, "Good to see you too Remus."

Severus walked next to his son for a moment whispering in his ear, "Do not force me into giving you another lecture on decorum. Behave yourself while you are in that room Mr. Potter!"

Harry nodded his head, eager to get away before his father really did give him a lecture. He walked into his bedroom and saw that Ginny was sitting on the floor in front of the fire with her books on the small table. He readily joined her, glad to have a door between him and the professor. Harry sat down next to her leaning up against the overstuffed chair. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tried to pull her close.

"Hey, no funny stuff! We'll never get our homework done with your hands there. Besides if the professor walks in and catches us he's going to think I'm a bad influence on you." Ginny pushed back and grabbed a book to hug in front of her.

Harry pulled the book away and pulled her back onto his lap, "So that's not our problem. What's he thinking letting me come in here alone with the most beautiful girl in school? I mean what does he think we're going to do … study!" He leaned in and planted a deep kiss on her lips.

"No Harry. You'll ruin my reputation with your over active hormones," Ginny joked. She knew her reputation was not the purest since going out with Dean and Michael. Those boys liked to brag when they didn't really have that much to brag about.

Harry grabbed the book off the floor that Ginny had been holding and thrust it back into her hands, "Alright then, let's study." He took on a very studious demeanor by sitting up straight and opened his own book with a dramatic flourish. He had hardly read the first line when Ginny pulled the book out of his hands.

"You're giving up that easy? What happened to the Harry Potter I read about in Teen Witch Weekly Magazine? It said you're the newest teen heartthrob!" Ginny laughed at the look Harry gave her.

He pretended to be totally shocked over hearing that, "First off, what are you doing reading that rubbish and secondly … what makes you think I am one?" He smiled at her look of surprise.

Ginny giggled as she moved back onto his lap while pulling his head down to her face. "Oh you are one! At least it's true for this teen … my heart is definitely throbbing," Ginny whispered the last part into his ear and placed his hand on her heart.

Oh Merlin, now he really did have over active hormones! Harry pressed his hand against Ginny's chest, sliding his hand further down to cup her breast. Before he could get any further he heard or rather felt footsteps coming his way. He quickly pulled his hand away and helped her off his lap. She picked up a book and thrust it into his hands just as the door opened.

Severus spotted the teens before the fire, looking slightly guilty as they looked up at him. He raised an eyebrow at his son, hoping the boy had behaved himself but was rather doubtful.

"The meeting is set to begin in just a few moments but I wanted to speak to the both of you before you joined the rest."

Severus sat down in a straight backed chair as the teens looked up at him with concern.

"Ms. Weasley, it has been decided that you should also attend the meeting this evening. Events have unfolded that concern you, as well as Harry. Harry, I must reiterate the importance of you controlling your temper. Several Order members have made a point of speaking to me regarding the lack of control you posses. Please do not make me regret letting you attend this evening. There will be severe consequences if you have any outbursts such as those at the manor."

Ginny looked over to Harry with confusion. Whatever had happened at the last meeting must have been pretty bad, she thought since he kept being reminded not to act that way. She would have to ask him later when they were alone.

"The other factor to remember is that no matter **what** anyone says regarding your training, **I** will have the last say as far as you are concerned Harry. Do you understand? I need to know that you understand?"

"Yes sir. You're telling me not to lose control when someone threatens to take me away because you won't let them," Harry answered with a small trace of fear. He felt Ginny lean into him and take hold of his hand.

Severus seemed satisfied that Harry understood what the meeting would pertain to and walked towards the door.

Ginny and Harry followed Severus out into the living room still holding hands. They stopped at the threshold at the sight of so many people. It seemed that the room had magically grown to accommodate the large group of forty people. Harry had never seen some of the sofas and chairs they were sitting on before. He wasn't sure were he and Ginny should sit so they just stood next to the fireplace as people began to spot them and stare.

Harry watched as Severus greeted a tall thin witch with blond hair pulled back into a severe bun at the base of her neck. She had a refined look to her with a straight thin nose and pale blue eyes. Severus bent over her extended hand and kissed it briefly before escorting her to a seat. Harry observed the lady give furtive glances towards Severus when the Potion Master was not looking her way.

Mr. Weasley hurried up to where Harry and Ginny were standing and embraced his daughter. He leaned over and gave Harry a small hug too. He took hold of Ginny's hand and dragged her over to where he had been sitting.

Harry stood by himself for a moment before he felt Severus wrap an arm around his shoulder. He leaned into his father, glad to have his support. "Relax son," Severus whispered.

"Who are all these people?" Harry asked as he only recognized about one third of them.

"Most of the people you do not recognize are new recruits that Albus wanted to bring up to date with the latest news. Although they do seem to be rather in awe of you, remember that they are putting their very lives on the line to protect you."

The meeting begun with Shacklebolt giving a long detailed report on what the ministry was doing to help the war. Dumbledore went next and gave everyone a run down of the latest news from spies within the Death Eaters and other organizations. He looked towards Ginny before relaying some very disheartening news.

"It seems that we were mistaken to believe the last break-in at the school was meant to kidnap Mr. Potter. The kidnappers were in fact after young Ginevra Weasley." Several gasps could be heard around the room. Harry looked at Ginny as her dad pulled her into a hug.

When everyone quieted down the Headmaster spoke again. "Voldemort knew that Harry was not on the premises at the time of the break in. He seems to be aware of the extra protection Harry is now under."

Harry looked up at his father and whispered, "What extra protection?"

Severus shook his head, "Have you not noticed two Aurors following you throughout the school?"

"No." Harry wished Moody would stop looking at him.

Moody heard the whispered conversation and gave a disgruntled snort, "Constant vigilance boy!"

Dumbledore saved Harry from further embarrassment, "The men were indeed Death Eaters and they had planned to take Ms. Weasley. We are still unsure of whether they intended to use her to lure Mr. Potter forth or if this had anything to do with Ms. Weasley's past interaction with Voldemort." At this point the Headmaster stopped and gave Ginny an encouraging smile. Ginny looked back at him still in shock over hearing she had been the intended hostage.

Albus spoke once again, "There is also more disturbing news … a bounty has been offered to the Death Eater who brings Harry alive to stand before Voldemort." The room was in an uproar over hearing such a travesty.

This was news to Harry and he looked up again at his father, "did you know about this?'

Severus nodded his head, "But I did not want to alarm you. Hence the reason for not allowing you to attend the Hogsmeade trip."

Harry opened his mouth to argue but thought he should wait until they were alone. He felt his father squeeze his shoulder.

"We will work something out son."

Harry gave his father a nod then turned his attention back to Dumbledore.

"It is of the highest urgency that Mr. Potter learns to defend himself. We will do our best to protect him but ultimately it will be Harry who faces the Dark Lord." Dumbledore held nothing back as he felt the boy should hear the truth.

Harry looked around at all the people that were here to fight against Voldemort. He felt a heavy burden on his shoulders to do well by them.

Moody stood up next to recount the training he had begun with Harry.

"The boy shows incredible aptitude in both spell casting and blocks. He actually went so far as to disarm me and take possession of my wand! His power is beyond anything I have ever witnessed and that is with little to no training yet," Moody boasted to the group.

Harry pushed back against the wall wishing he would not have insisted on coming to the meeting. Severus noticed him trying to blend in with the wall and gave him an encouraging nod.

Shacklebolt spoke up next, "With the threat of the bounty and now the urgency to train the boy don't you think we should remove him to a safer location?"

Several people agreed, including Moody, "Yes, I see great potential in the boy but he is distracted at times."

"Harry should be kept safe at all cost," Remus said giving Harry a quick glance. Harry's anger flared once again towards the Marauder. The man just couldn't get over Severus adopting him it seemed.

"Potter takes too many risks and I am not sure he is safe at Hogwarts any longer with the Dementors working for He-Who -Shall-Not-Be-Named. Truly the boy is not secure with the Dementors so close to Hogsmeade," said a witch Harry had never even seen before.

Severus leaned down whispering, "That is Tupin, she works with Shacklebolt."

"Harry can take care of himself as far as the Dementors are concerned," said Tonks.

"Is it true then, that Potter can cast a Patronus?" asked Tupin.

"Yes, it is true. Potter will you give us a demonstration?" asked Moody.

Harry didn't feel comfortable casting a Patronus for the mere sake of curiosity. But then again, maybe if he proved he could take care of himself the Order would get off his back about training. It might also help to sway their decision to let him go into Hogsmeade tomorrow.

Harry gave him a quick nod trying not to show his anger as these people decided his fate. He felt Severus grip his shoulder but shook him off, pulling his wand out of his back pocket. He thought about the kiss he had with Ginny this evening before calling out, "Expecto Patronum!"

The large stag sprang out of Harry's wand landing on the big coffee table. Several gasps could be heard as everyone started to cheer. The Patronus stood up on its hind legs, pawing the air before jumping over a row of people and disappearing into thin air.

The people standing close to Harry gave him pats on the back as everyone else cheered. Harry saw Ginny clapping and felt a rush of satisfaction. Then he looked up at Severus but wished he hadn't. The Potion Master shook his head and looked away. Harry wondered what he had done wrong and thought maybe Severus didn't want him showing off. He didn't care though; as long as it would get people to stop talking about taking him away then it was worth disappointing his father.

"Now, do you see what I mean about potential!" exclaimed Moody with delight.

"Harry needs a stricter environment where he does nothing but train!" barked out Shacklebolt as a debate began regarding Harry's training.

"We are talking about a sixteen year boy, are we not?" said the witch Severus had been talking to earlier. "Perhaps, he should be allowed the continued security of a parent?" She spoke with poise and assurance.

Shacklebolt looked ready to argue but was quieted by Dumbledore, "For those of you who have not yet had the chance to meet, I would like to introduce Ms. Ella Fairchild. She is on the board of counselors at Saint Mungo's as well as a Healer of the mind."

"But is Harry safe here? I do not think we should take that chance," came the strong voice of the auror Tupin.

Several people agreed with her statement and the debate continued amongst the Order members.

Harry saw Ginny looking miserable and trying to hold back tears. His anger was just below the surface but seeing her cry for him pushed him over the edge.

"Harry should be taken immediately before Voldemort gets a hold of him!" Moody shouted.

"Harry … is standing right here!" Harry said with emotion, "I am not an object of war!" Severus grabbed his shoulder harshly. Everyone turned to stare at him as Harry pulled out of Severus' grasp. "I will not be taken anywhere," Harry said as a slight tremor could be felt in the room.

Severus saw the alarm on many faces and grabbed the back of his son's shirt pushing him out of the room, into the hallway. Before Harry knew what was happening he was pushed into his bedroom and Severus closed the door behind them.

The shaking continued as Harry tried to push his emotions down but failed. Severus took hold of both his shoulders and shook him harshly, "Get control boy!"

Harry furrowed his brow over being called 'boy'. That was the same way Vernon used to say it. It distracted him enough for the tremors to stop though.

"I thought we had an understanding?" Severus hissed out. Severus was not upset that Harry had stood up for himself but he was distressed that everyone had once again witnessed his raw uncontrolled power following the spectacular Patronus. Harry had made such a spectacle of himself that Severus would be hard pressed to convince his fellow Order members that it would be safe to keep Harry at Hogwarts.

Harry couldn't explain how the tremors happened and he certainly couldn't just make them come at will.

"I don't know what happened."

"What happened is that you lost control of your emotions! Giving certain Order members more ammunition to see that you be removed for the safety of other students, you stupid boy!"

Harry looked crest fallen as he thought about the big mistake that he had let happen. "You can stop them, right?"

Harry looked as if he was on the verge of panic over the thought of being taken away.

"I will not let them take you. I need you to stay calm though so we can join the meeting once more."

Harry stepped back and ran his fingers through his untidy hair. "I'm sorry … I messed up Severus."

"Let me just threaten you with this; one more outburst and you will not be going into Hogsmeade." Severus hoped that would keep the boy in control while other people were still here.

Harry nodded as he took a deep breath and opened the door. When they entered the living room once more some people took furtive glances at him while others blatantly stared. Harry pressed back into the wall.

"I'm sorry about that," he mumbled out to no one in particular as he avoided Ginny's stare.

Several people nodded but Shacklebolt spoke up, "Has that ever happened at school before?"

Harry felt his heart race, "No sir."

"Can you make it stop when it does happen?" the Auror asked.

Severus stepped to Harry's side, partially blocking his view to the Auror, "It should be obvious by now that my son has the ability to defuse that streak of magic." Severus hoped that he had down played the powerful magic enough.

Shacklebolt nodded but still looked doubtful.

Dumbledore spoke up next, "Mr. Potter is not to be spoken of as if he were an object to aid the war. He will get the respect he deserves. I do hope everyone understands my position on this matter? Very good, I think the meeting is at a close unless anyone else has an issue to be addressed?"

Severus stepped forward, "I have an issue to discuss." Severus looked towards Moody then towards Shacklebolt, "I must insist that further ideas on training Harry be cleared through me. I will do my best to let him have the same experiences as any other student here at Hogwarts. On that note I ask a favor; Harry would like to attend Hogsmeade day with the rest of his school mates."

A roar of opposition went through the room until Severus raised his voice slightly, "Whom may I count on as escort for my son?"

Harry waited nervously as he knew this was a test to see who was on Severus' side.

The witch named Fairchild was the first to raise her hand.

Eventually almost all the people in the room raised a hand. Finally both Shacklebolt and Moody raised their hands as well. Severus let out a breath he hadn't been aware he had been holding.

"Very good. Professor Moody would you be willing to arrange the security?" Severus looked towards the ex-Auror. This was his way of giving Moody his due respect for teaching his son how to fight. Moody nodded his assent and the meeting ended.

As people began leaving, Ginny rushed up to Harry and threw her arms around his neck. "Oh my gosh, that was so awful Harry. What are they trying to do to you? Where do they want to take you?"

Harry hugged her back as he tried to push down the fear he had for putting her in danger. "It's okay now. Severus is going to take care of everything." Ginny looked at him as if she didn't quite believe that.

Several people came to say goodbye to Harry. He had to keep reminding himself that these people were putting their very lives on the line to keep him safe.

Severus escorted Ms. Fairchild up to meet Harry. "Ms. Fairchild I would like to introduce you to my son, Harry Potter."

Harry gave her a small smile, "Nice to meet you ma'am."

Harry felt like he was under a magnifying glass as the woman assessed him closely before extending her hand, "It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Potter. That was a lovely Patronus." Harry shook her hand then looked at Severus and was surprised to see his father looking thoughtfully at the tall witch.

"Well, I'm glad _you_ thought so," Harry said accusingly while still looking at his father.

Ms. Fairchild looked confused at that statement until Severus spoke up, "The Patronus was satisfactory, casting it to an audience was unnecessary though."

Harry shrugged and turned to meet another new member. Several more new members came up to meet both Severus and Harry making the evening drag on.

Harry was glad when the last person finally left, "Thanks for sticking up for me during the meeting Severus."

Severus nodded but looked at him through narrowed eyes, "Do not think you are going to bed without a thorough lecture on maintaining your self-control. And I might add that you are also in need of another lecture on propriety."

"Oh yeah, that." Harry sat down on the big sofa and looked up at his father, "Would it help any if I said I was sorry it happened?"

"To what incident are you referring to? I highly doubt you are 'sorry' for becoming far too familiar with Ms. Weasley. If you are apologizing for that … then you may as well disregard it because I certainly would not believe you," Severus admonished.

"Um Severus … you do realize I'm sixteen, right?" Harry asked with a slight grin.

"Obstinate boy, that's what you are," Severus reprimanded.

"Actually I was apologizing for making the room shake. I don't know how I did that though," Harry explained. He thought he would just ignore the whole Patronus incident though.

Severus looked at him for a long minute before replying, "We must investigate the cause for this powerful surge of magic. Do you remember what you were thinking when it happened?"

"Well, I guess I was looking at Ginny and she was crying because everyone was talking about sending me away to train," Harry couldn't imagine why that would have brought on the surge of wild magic though.

A thought suddenly occurred to him, "Severus do you think you could perform Legilimens on me and see what caused it?"

Severus nodded his head, "Yes, I was thinking the very same thing. Shall we do it now?"

"Yeah, I guess so but … don't go snooping around in there too much," Harry warned.

The Potion Master broke out into an uncharacteristic grin, "Not to worry son, I hardly find your teenage groping very entertaining."

Harry reddened but still tried to look indignant, "I didn't grope! Anyway, just stay away from any thoughts about Ginny other than the one at the meeting."

"I will do my best," Severus answered with heavy sarcasm. He knelt down in front of Harry, looking deep into his eyes. Harry's total trust in him still brought a rush of pride to his chest.

Immediately an image of Harry watching Ginny this evening Harry's feelings ran deep with frustration Severus and Harry running from Vespa's creaturesVespa raising her arm to whip Harry A young Harry in the kitchen at Privet drive with an older lady ballooning upHarry at the Order meeting at Snape Manor

Severus opened his eye's to find his son doubled over on his knees with his forehead pressed to the ground and his hands covering his head.

"That's enough, stop!" Harry gasped out with anguish as his hands shook.

"Harry, what is it?" Severus asked in a panic. He tried to gather Harry to him but the boy shoved his hands away, "Harry?"

Harry tried to catch his breath as he pushed himself up to sit. His head was swimming as the images of all those powerful times overwhelmed him. He was so emotionally spent that he couldn't bring himself to talk for fear of an avalanche of emotions crashing down on him. He shook his head and stood up, stumbling to his bedroom as he held onto the wall for support.

His head felt as if it would explode with all thebad feelings those times brought to the surface, asif they had just happened. A firm arm circled him and pulled him close. Harry pushed his head into the professor's chest, willing the bad memories away.

"I didn't know that would happen. Breathe deep and try to Occlude your mind," Severus whispered out, thoroughly frightened over the reaction Harry was having. He had never seen anything like this happen before in all the years he had used Legilimens.

After several long minutes Harry finally pushed away from the professor and sat on his bed. Severus could tell that Harry was struggling with the memories so fresh.

"What happened to me?" Harry asked in a whisper.

"I believe I pulled up more powerful memories then you could handle. I fear that our Legilimens has become so strong that I not only pulled up memories but the feelings that accompanied them at that time. As I was watching the memories unfold I also felt the way you were feeling at the time they took place."

"But those memories have always been there and I've never felt this way before?"

"Yes, but you have never had all those memories along with the emotions come to the surface at the same time. I fear this was entirely my fault. I am truly sorry to have done this to you," Severus said with distress.

Harry rubbed his face, "It's okay, you didn't know this would happen."

"Nevertheless I feel very regretful over my stupidity. Although, I do believe I found the core reason for the uncontrolled magic to occur." Severus paced away from the bed before he alleged, "The surge of magic seems to occur when you feel the need to protect someone out of your love for them. Even yourself."

The thought of the powerful magic was too much to fathom with all the other memories so fresh and at the surface.

"I can't talk about that right now. I think I need to go to bed," Harry said, feeling his stomach clench over the fresh emotions still coursing through his mind.

Severus seemed hesitant to leave but gave Harry a pat on the shoulder before walking out the door.

Harry changed and got under the covers. He decided to take one memory at a time and put it to rest. He wasn't sure how long he had been sifting through his memories when he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door.

"Come in Severus."

Severus walked towards Harry with a vial in his hands. He stood next to the bed assessing the condition of his son.

"I'm better now, don't look so worried," Harry offered up in a near whisper.

Severus was still trying to digest the memories he had witnessed. His desire to protect the boy had grown stronger after witnessing and feeling the memories Harry had gone through. More than that, his respect for his son had grown tremendously over what he had endured in his short life thus far.

"I am sorry Harry," Severus said again.

Harry shook his head, "You didn't know that would happen so don't worry about it."

"Harry, I'm sorry for all the awful events you have suffered through. I'm sorry for being so harsh on you for so many years and I'm sorry a boy your age has had to go through so much," Severus said with deep regret.

Harry looked down, not really sure what to say to that.

"You look as if you are still struggling with the memories?"

Harry nodded his head and looked up, "Yeah, I guess I am. I'm trying to push them back in place but it's harder than I thought."

"Perhaps a night without dreams would serve you well," Severus said and handed the vial to Harry.

Harry swallowed the vial in one go. He took his glasses off and put them on the night stand then lay back against the pillows. In a matter of minutes he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning Harry stayed in his room through breakfast. He wasn't feeling particularly hungry. He showered and dressed then sat down at his desk to make up some of the homework he missed from last night. He had a fair amount of homework done when his father walked into the room.

"You missed breakfast in the Great Hall. Are you ill?" Severus asked as he tried to place a hand on Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled his head back, "I'm not ill Dad, I just thought I would finish my homework."

"You should eat though," Severus admonished. "How are you feeling regarding the memories?"

Harry shrugged not really sure how to describe the way he was feeling after last nights Legilimency.

"I feel okay." He noticed the time and closed up his books putting them back in his book bag.

"I will see you in Potions then," Severus said as he walked towards the door. He looked back one more time and saw Harry leaning on the desk with his hand to his head and his eyes closed. Harry looked up at him with a small smile then went back to packing up his school gear.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry walked into Potions class feeling as if he were in a dream with his head swimming. He sat towards the back by himself until Hermione walked in and spotted him. She sat down next to him but he hadn't even realized she was there until she shook his arm.

"Harry, for goodness sakes, what are you thinking about?"

Harry looked startled but focused on Hermione's words, "Oh um, I dunno what I was thinking. I guess I just have a lot on my mind."

Hermione looked at him with concern, "Did something happen last night? I know Ginny went for a study date and didn't come back until well after ten o'clock. What happened?"

"She didn't tell you?" Harry didn't think it was his place to talk about the kidnapping.

"No, but she was really sad about something. Ron's worried about her and we talked about giving her a surprise party this evening to lift her spirits. He thinks it would really cheer her up. The twins said they would help. We saw them at breakfast this morning. They came to check up on Ginny saying that her mum was worried about her too."

Now Harry felt really guilty. Ginny was either worried about him being taken away to train or worried about the kidnapping. Both being his fault in a way, making him feel responsible for her sadness.

"Where were you this morning anyways? I saw Professor Snape at breakfast," Hermione asked.

Harry didn't have a chance to answer as his father walked into the room and immediately began his lecture. His mind drifted back to the memories from the Legilimens once again. Hermione was taking down notes with fervor. He was finally pulled back to reality when Hermione pinched his arm and he saw her eyes darting up towards the front of the class.

"Mr. Potter, are you even paying the slightest bit of attention to the caution I gave on the dangerous potion we are about to formulate?" came Severus' stern voice.

Harry suddenly became quite aware of his surroundings as he rubbed his eyes and looked back at his father. "Sorry Severus … I-I mean Professor."

Severus knew exactly what had the boy so distracted but wasn't sure how to help him. "Come, and bring your books."

Harry picked up his book bag, unsure what his father had planned for him. Hermione gave him a sympathetic look.

As he walked by Malfoy's desk the Slytherin looked up and joked, "Have fun cleaning the loos."

Harry smirked at the Slytherin and followed Severus.

Severus led the way into the adjoining office, "Sit, and finish up your homework. We will work on this potion over the weekend."He called for Dobby and ordered a breakfast of toast and juice for his son before walking back into the classroom.

With great relief over not having to clean out cauldrons or the loo, Harry opened his potion book and began to read. Dobby popped back with a nice breakfast of toast and eggs. When Harry finished eating he began to think once more of the memories that haunted his mind. The memories were not the worse part; the worse part was the emotions that went along with them. Having them pulled up all at once had been so overwhelming that he just couldn't shake the emotions or push them down for long before they resurfaced once again.

He thought about the pain potion and the way it made all the bad feelings go away but knew it wouldn't be very wise to take it. But he knew the potion was right behind the cabinet door in the office and he also knew the secret word to open that door. He sat staring at the cabinet for quite some time before Malfoy walked in and coughed to gain his attention.

Harry startled out of his thoughts, "What Malfoy? Aren't you supposed to be brewing?"

Malfoy looked at the empty plate and half glass of juice, "I'm done, but aren't you supposed be doing something other than staring off into space?"

"What's it to you?' Harry asked and opened his book once again.

"Nothing. I don't care if you waste your time daydreaming. I just came in here to see what horrible punishment Severus had planned for you. Obviously it pays to be adopted by the Potion Master," Malfoy said as he pointed at the empty plate. "What sort of spell did you cast on the man anyway?"

Harry chuckled, "No spell, I just missed breakfast this morning."

"Interesting," Malfoy commented then asked, "So, did you hear about Trelawney?"

Harry shook his head and finished his juice.

"Oh, you missed the funniest thing I've seen in a long time," Draco said with a big smile on his face. "Trelawney made one of her rare appearances for breakfast this morning. She had on this super long cape that dragged on the floor behind her and Flitwick wasn't watching where he was going. Flitwick stepped on the cape and Trelawney thought some ghost or poltergeist was after her!" The Slytherin laughed so hard he almost fell off his chair, making Harry laugh harder.

"Then she starts screaming and she's trying to run," at this point Draco could barely talk, he was laughing so hard. "And Flitwick is like riding on this cape down the Great Hall as Trelawney is running with her arms out in front of her screaming her head off." By now booth boys were laughing so hard they had tears steaming down their faces.

Just then Severus walked in and stopped at the door to observe the scene before him. He was rather relieved to find Harry in such a good mood after the trauma he had caused the boy last night. He waited at the door until both boy's noticed him and tried to stop laughing.

Draco spoke up first, "Severus I was just telling Potter about Trelawney this morning."

"Yes, that was rather amusing," Severus offered and walked into his office. He noticed that Harry had eaten most of the meal and looked to be in much better spirits then before.

Harry stood up from behind his father's desk and offered Severus his chair back.

"No, sit. I just came in here to go over the list of potions you have missed this year. Unfortunately you have missed so many that I fear you will need a tutor to catch up to the rest of the class."

Harry grabbed the paper with the long list of potions he had missed. He had no idea he had missed so many classes. "I'm never going to get through all these on top of the special training."

"Perhaps we could find someone willing to help you," Severus suggested and looked pointedly at Draco.

Draco raised his eyebrows at the suggestion and thought maybe there might be something in it for him, "I would be willing to help Potter … if _I_ could get something out of it?"

Harry blanched at the idea of having Malfoy as a tutor. "No way! I'm not going to have Malfoy telling me what to do. Maybe Hermione could help?" Malfoy scowled at Harry.

"Actually I spoke with Minerva this morning and she would like Ms. Granger to help you catch up in Transfiguration. I think Mr. Malfoy would make a fine tutor but that decision is yours to make."

Harry couldn't come up with anyone else smart enough in potions to teach him. "Alright, I guess Malfoy will be okay."

"Gee thanks Potter. How could I possibly turn down helping you with the gratitude you show?" Malfoy said sarcastically.

"Shut up Malfoy. I'm sure the Professor will make it worth your while, won't you Severus?" Harry asked not wanting to be in debt to the Slytherin.

"I am sure we can come up with an appropriate recompense for time spent tutoring," Severus said but started to think this may not be the best idea with both boys' past history. "That is, only if the two of you can keep from hexing each other or having odd broom races during tutoring sessions. What is it that you desire in return Mr. Malfoy?"

"Could I get one of those hover boards like the one you bought Potter?" Draco asked hopefully. He knew they cost a fortune and now that the Malfoy accounts had been frozen by the ministry he knew he would never get one.

"That will depend on the grades Mr. Potter gets on his midterm exams. If he does well then I will purchase the hover board for you," Severus declared.

Malfoy threw a fist in the air with glee, "Oh, don't worry about Potter's grades Severus. I'll make sure he passes with all O's!"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Bloody hell, what did I get myself into?"

Severus gave Harry a stern look over his poor language. "Harry, I believe you have a private lesson with Professor Moody right now that I know you do not wish to be late to."

Harry checked the time and shoved his books in his bag. "See you later then," the Gryffindor yelled as he ran out of the room.

Severus gave his full attention back to Draco, "If you harm one hair on my son's head, you will have me to answer to. Do you understand Mr. Malfoy?"

Malfoy looked a bit frightened but answered, "Yes sir, I do understand."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry made it through the rest of his classes by continually Occluding his mind. It was getting harder to keep from feeling overwhelmed but he had no choice. By the end of the day he felt worn out and tired.

During dinner in the Great Hall he sat next to Ginny, watching her closely. Once he caught her with tears in her eyes as she looked at him with great concern. It bothered him to know that he could bring her so much distress. He leaned close giving a soft kiss to her wet cheek. He saw Ron look away and took the chance to kiss her once more. She seemed to be in a better mood after that, making Hermione, Ron and Harry happy.

During pudding Ron slipped Harry a note that he stuck in his shirt pocket when Ginny wasn't looking. He excused himself saying he had to use the loo and went out into the hallway to read the note.

_H. _

_The party's on tonight in the Astronomy Tower at 10:00. F & G set us up with all kids of good stuff. _

_R._

After walking Ginny back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry went looking for Severus. He found the Potion Master in his classroom with three third year Hufflepuffs on detention. Harry hoped these idiots hadn't made his father too angry, as it would be hard enough convincing the man to let him off the grounding as it was.

Once Severus saw him standing at the door he motioned for Harry to come in.

"Professor, could I talk with you for a minute … in private?" Harry asked, watching one Hufflepuff dripping water on the ground from his leaking ears. He noticed the other Hufflepuffs had water coming from their noses. He couldn't remember ever making a potion that caused that reaction before.

Severus didn't hesitate standing up and leading the way into his office, "Are you alright, Harry?"

"Yes sir. It's just that I was wondering if you would postpone my grounding for a night? I really need to sleep in the Gryffindor common rooms tonight."

Severus furrowed his brow, "May I ask why?"

Harry hated to lie but he just couldn't miss out on the party tonight, "I just want to be close to Ginny in case she needs to talk or something."

"I hesitate to give you permission as it is the 'or something' that concerns me. However, she has had some very disturbing news and could probably do with reassurance. Please do not make me regret giving you permission."

"Thanks, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," Harry said feeling a bit better.

"Harry, may I ask how you are feeling?" Severus asked as he inspected his son for signs of distress. He couldn't shake the feeling that he should be doing to help his son.

"Better, I guess. I never realized how powerful those memories were before. But then again I guess they would have to be, in order for them to bring that sort of magic out." Harry shook his head in frustration, "I just need to find a way to get rid of all those feelings that keep getting in my way."

Severus was surprised Harry had opened up so much about the way he was feeling. It spoke volumes for the trusting relationship they had formed. "I would like to help in any way I can."

Harry could see the guilt clearly written on his father's face, "I'll be okay. I just need some time to get through this."

Severus looked at him for a long minute before nodding and heading out of the office. Harry stopped before the locked cabinet wondering if that pain potion would help with his volatile emotions just floating below the surface?

What was the incantation to open the cabinet? Oh yes, 'Dehisco!' Harry suddenly recalled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On another note: Yes, I know Ginny's b-day is not in October but I had to make it then for the story's sake.


	40. Chapter 40 Decisions

-1Note- No major cliffy, I revamped so I could get this out today without a cliffy

40- Decisions

Harry remembered the unlocking spell just as he heard the professor begin a conversation with a student in the classroom. If he unlocked the cabinet door right now he knew he would not be caught. The ramifications for unlocking the door flitted across his mind. But, the pain potion would feel like a healing balm for the all the raw emotions that overwhelmed him. He needed it, right? He deserved a little break from all the trauma this past year had been filled with. It wasn't like he was going to turn into some crazy wizard addict, for Merlin's sake! He just wanted one pain free, emotion free night to spend with his friends at a party for his girlfriend. He deserved it after all; he had to kill old Voldy one day.

Harry peered around the door and saw his father in the throes of giving an extensive reprimand to the Hufflepuffs. He walked back to the cabinet wringing his hands with a mixture of excitement and shame. He was ashamed of feeling anticipation over the pain potion. He pushed all thoughts of disappointing and stealing from the professor behind the heavy stone wall in his mind.

Raising his wand Harry whispered out, "Dehisco!" He watched as the locks turned and the door opened a fraction. Opening the door wide enough to see the contents inside, he spotted the small bundle of green vials sitting upright in a metal tin.

Harry reached in and took hold of two vials and stuffed them in his pocket. After closing the cabinet door and locking it, he walked back into the classroom.

The professor stopped lecturing the cowering Hufflepuffs and looked at Harry with concern. He had almost forgotten Harry was still in his office. Maybe the boy just needed more time to gather his thoughts before heading up to Gryffindor Tower?

"Harry, may I have a word with you?" Severus asked and walked towards his son.

For a split second Harry thought Severus knew about the potion in his pocket, then realized how ridicules that was and let himself relax. "Sure professor, what is it?"

The Professor reached down into his pocket and pulled out a handful of platinum coins. He held them out to Harry, "I have been rather negligent in giving you a weekly allowance. I know you plan to treat Ms. Weasley to a day in Hogsmeade tomorrow."

Harry looked down at the handful of money in his hand. There must be at least ten platinum galleons. He wasn't that familiar with Wizard money but he did know that platinum galleons were worth ten times the amount of a regular gold galleon. "Um Severus, I think this is too much for an allowance."

Severus looked irritated over that comment, "Nonsense."

Harry looked down at the money again and counted it up. It was the equivalent of five hundred pounds, "But, this is too much …" Harry didn't have the chance to finish his comment as his father swept to the front of the classroom and glared at the quivering Hufflepuff.

Harry wasn't sure what to do at this point. He felt guilty enough about stealing from the professor but to take this much money for doing nothing made everything worse. He decided to give most of it back. He walked up to his father with the money still in his hand, "Sir, I think I better just keep a couple and give the rest back." Harry put two platinum galleons in his pocket, knowing that would be more than enough for lunch, gifts and Honeydukes with money to spare.

Severus pushed Harry's hand away spilling a few coins to the ground. "You will keep what you are given and cease this vulgar conversation immediately!" The Potion Master said in a huff. Harry thought the professor was beginning to get angry at him, and he didn't want to risk having Severus change his mind about the grounding.

Harry retrieved the coins off the floor and saw the Hufflepuffs on detention open their eyes wider at the handful of platinum coins. He stuffed them in his pocket and gave his father one last look before heading for the door. Once he reached it he heard his Severus call to him once more, this time in a much softer tone, "Harry, your ethics are commendable. Have a good evening son."

Okay, now he felt worse than ever for stealing the potion. He looked at his father's face and wished the man had yelled at him instead of commending him. "Good night sir."

Harry stood outside the classroom door feeling very guilty. There was nothing he could do about it right now though. He had to take a sip of that pain potion to help clear his thoughts, then maybe he could think of a good way to pay the professor back.

The common room was buzzing with excitement as people whispered excitedly about the secret party tonight. Ginny was no where to be found so Harry decided to go up to his dorm and take a tiny sip of the pain potion. There was no sense in waiting any longer. His heart sped up with the excitement over feeling euphoric once again instead of the heavy misery he had been carrying around all day.

The dorm room was bursting with noise with people busy wrapping gifts and pulling out decorations. Harry found Ron going through a box of tiny decorations.

"What are those?" Harry asked as he saw Ron pull out a handful of tiny clear balloons.

"These my friend, are magical expanding decorations," Ron explained and touched his wand to one of the tiny balloons. The tiny clear balloon grew about two feet then filled with a rainbow colored swirling air and floated to the high beam ceiling.

"Spectacular!" Harry declared then lifted out a small string from the box. Ron prompted him to try it so Harry raised his own wand to the string. The string grew large enough to wrap around the entire canopy of Ron's bed then lit up into a beautiful shimmering blue.

"Do you want to see what the banner does?" Ron asked as he lifted out a tiny strip of paper.

"No, we better wait until we get up to the astronomy tower, otherwise we'll have to sneak these through the castle," Harry said as he stuck his hand in his cloak pocket and fingered the vials. "I'll be right back Ron."

Harry went into the bathroom, glad to have it all to himself. He didn't let his mind dwell on the possibilities this action could cause. Instead he uncorked the vial and took a swig. Immediately his mind cleared of the heavy emotions and he felt that familiar feeling of euphoria that he remembered. Oh it felt good to be so free of anything dark. He felt light like he could open the window and just fly on the gusts of wind. That thought made him smile then he begun to laugh over the thought of flying on the wind like a bird. Like Hedwig, the thought of him and Hedwig flying side by side sent him into hysterics. He stuffed his fist to his mouth trying to silence the laughter.

By the time he went back into the dorm room the guys were packed and ready to head up to the astronomy tower to set up for the party.

"Harry, you're in charge of getting Ginny up to the tower at ten o'clock. I think she went down to the library to study with Hermione," Ron said.

Harry was glad he'd have a little time alone with Ginny before joining up with the rest of the party. He wished them all good luck and headed down to the library to find Ginny. When he walked into the large room he spotted Hermione and Ginny sitting in the corner, deep in a hushed conversation.

As soon as the girls saw Harry they broke out into giggles. Ginny looked at her friend knowingly and Hermione gathered her books to go.

On her way out Hermione whispered in Harry's ear, "Remember one hour! Don't get caught up and forget!"

Harry nodded at the reminder as Ginny looked at him curiously. Madame Pince gave him a hard stare as he walked by.

"Ginny, do you want to take a walk in the courtyard?" Harry asked as he noticed a group of girls staring at him and whispering.

Ginny nodded and put her books in her bag. Harry carried the heavy bag for her as they walked out into the hallway. Ginny took hold of Harry's free hand, looking up and smiling.

"So, are you okay? I know the meeting must have been hard on you," Harry asked with concern as they rounded their way down the circular staircase.

Ginny shook her head, "Harry, I'm fine; it's you I'm worried about. Moody and Shacklebolt want to make you into some sort of weapon. Is that what brought out that shaking in the room?"

Harry shook his head, "I'm not sure yet. Severus thinks it has something to do with my wanting to protect people."

"Who were you trying to protect?"

Harry looked the other way and tried to change the subject, "Do you want to grab a cloak. It might be cold outside?"

"Harry don't change the subject; who were you trying to protect at that meeting?" Ginny asked again and pulled on Harry's arm to force him to turn and look at her.

"You." Harry said as he looked down at the tenacious girl.

"Me? I wasn't the one everyone was trying to send away," Ginny said as she pulled Harry to a stop and looked up into his face.

"I know but I saw you crying and I think it was over what they were saying about me. It just really got to me, how these people were trying to control my life and you know…"

Ginny looked down frowning, "Harry, don't let that happen again in front of those aurors. When professor Snape pushed you out of the room they started talking about what a danger you could potentially be. They wanted Dumbledore to force your dad into letting them take you that night. Dumbledore put his foot down though and said your dad had the last word. It was pretty scary." She couldn't stop the tears that began to flow at the thought of Harry being taken away.

Harry put the book bag down and gathered Ginny in his arms. He felt her tears on his shoulder and it made him want to go after Moody and hex him. The feeling passed quickly as the pain potion dulled the anger he had.

He leaned down and gently guided her face up to his. Her cheeks still had fresh tears on them as Harry kissed them. He rubbed his thumb across her cheek wiping the tears away. Ginny pressed her face into his hand, enjoying the closeness they had.

She turned slightly and pushed her mouth onto his, kissing him deeply as he pulled her closer. Then he heard a noise and looked up just in time to see a flash of shadow out of the corner of his eye.

He had completely forgotten about the two aurors following him throughout the school. Now that he knew he was being followed he had spotted them walking casually behind him during the day. The big question was; how would he loose them so he could get Ginny up to the astronomy tower? His invisibility cloak was still back at the manor. He looked towards the hallway they were standing in, just waiting to follow him wherever he went.

The pain potion made him bolder than he normally would have been. He whispered to Ginny to stay put then walked boldly around the corner and came face to face with the two aurors. He was surprised to see Tonks and a young Auror he had never met before.

"Hey Tonks," Harry gave her a quick hug.

"Wotcher Harry. This is my partner for the night, Hinkle," Tonks said and gestured to the short young man with blond hair.

Harry nodded at the man but then looked back at Tonks, "Could I ask you a favor?"

"You can ask but I don't know if I can do it,' answered Tonks knowingly.

"I need some time alone with my girlfriend," Harry stated.

"I can't do that," declared the Auror, "Severus would have my head if anything happened on my shift. Sorry Harry."

Harry breathed deeply, shaking his head, "Tonks, I need to be alone with Ginny for a bit. I can't be expected to live my life in a fish bowl with aurors watching my every move."

"I can't do that Harry. Your father may not scare you but I for one do not want to get on his bad side."

"Tonks, my dad is just being totally overprotective. Its hard living like this you know, always being watched and having all these people control my life. Can't you just give me a break and let me have one night alone with my girlfriend?"

Tonks looked as if she were having an internal debate before she said, "Alright, just head back to Gryffindor tower as soon as you can. You better not leave the castle and if anything happens to you, I swear I'll kill you myself."

"Thanks Tonks and don't worry, nothings going to happen," Harry kissed her on the cheek and she looked up with surprise before walking away with Hinkle.

Ginny waited nervously, knowing that they were being followed from the information she had heard last night. She saw Harry walking towards her with a big smile on his face. He grabbed her hand and picked up the book bag. "Come on, I have an idea."

He pulled her along until they came to the room of requirement. He paced in front of the blank wall until a door appeared. Harry grabbed the handle and opened the door, allowing Ginny to enter first. They walked into a room that looked just like his bedroom at Snape Manor. The fire was roaring and the lights were dim adding a romantic feel to the room.

Ginny walked into the center of the room and turned in a circle, "What is this room?"

Harry walked up to his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her waist before whispering, "It's my bedroom at Snape Manor."

Ginny glanced around quickly taking in the fine drapery and ornate furniture. Her eyes settled on the thick rug before the roaring fire. She pulled Harry's hand towards it and sat down on the rug.

"Obviously you must be tired," she joked, "Or why else would your bedroom pop up in the room of requirement?"

"Yeah, I'm really tired," Harry said, playing along. He grabbed the pillows off the sofa and lay down in front of the fire, pulling Ginny down next to him. They wrapped their arms around each other with Ginny resting her head on Harry chest. Harry rubbed small circles on her back as she ran her fingers through his messy hair.

Harry turned his face and began kissing her. Deep long kisses that made him wonder how far he should go with her. A stupid thought popped into his head of his dad's ridiculous old fashioned notions. Severus had made his behavior with Ginny sound as if he were doing something wrong, but he quickly pushed that thought away and kissed his girlfriend again. Ginny pushed herself up onto an elbow and looked down into his face.

"Harry, I think I really like you. I just want to make sure we don't jump into anything we'll regret later."

"Ginny, I know I won't regret being with you. You're amazing and beautiful and smart and … and you're even good at Quidditch!" Harry said and they both broke out into laughter.

"Harry, you are adorable," Ginny whispered as she pushed herself on top of the worked up Gryffindor.

Harry wrapped his arms around her once again and pulled her into a perfect kissing position. They kissed again with Ginny unbuttoning his white school shirt. Before Harry even knew it, Ginny had his shirt off and was kissing his bare chest. He thought this might be a good time to put extra locking spells on the door. He gently pushed her back onto the pillows as he sat up and turned towards the door, revealing his back to Ginny.

She let out a sudden gasp and Harry quickly turned back towards her. "What?" Harry asked with confusion.

Ginny ran her finger along the angry raised scar on Harry's lower back, "What happened?"

"Um, well … ," Harry tried to come up with some reason other than Vernon but he wasn't thinking straight. He flushed with shame and plopped his head back down on the pillows as he threw his arm over his face. "It's nothing," he finally managed to say.

"Harry that's not 'nothing'. What happened?" Ginny asked again, totally unaware of the memories she was forcing her boyfriend to relive. "Did Snape's aunt do that to you?"

Harry shook his head with his arm still flung over his face, "Do you mind if we don't talk about it?"

Ginny frowned but said, "Okay, but I hope you tell me about it at some point."

Harry was quickly reminded of the many conversations he'd had with Severus that started out just like this. It made him want to get out of this room and just go fly on his broom to get away from those awful memories. Vernon; he hadn't thought about him for a long time. He thought of that particularly horrible day Vernon had pulled the sharp silver knife out of his pocket and waved it before his face. The thought of being flipped over while his hands were still bound. The thought of … NO! No, he wouldn't let this memory take him away from this night.

He felt Ginny grab hold of his arm and pull it away from his face. She was looking at him with concern, with compassion. He wasn't sure if he liked having her feel sorry for him. It bothered him when anyone pitied him but having his girlfriend feel that way was by far worse.

Harry grabbed his shirt and quickly put it on as he stood up. He reached his hand down to his girlfriend and helped her to her feet. "Come on, we have to be somewhere," Harry stated and walked towards the door.

"Harry, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong? Bloody hell, I should have never asked you about that scar," Ginny admonished herself.

Harry turned to look at her before opening the door, "Ginny, you know all the stuff that's happened to me, right? Well, it's really hard to talk about. So, just forget you ever saw it, okay?"

Ginny nodded her head and tried to give Harry a kiss. He pulled away needing a little space for a few minutes. He noticed her hurt look but didn't care. The thought of anyone touching him turned his stomach.

They walked up to the astronomy tower in silence, with Ginny giving Harry furtive glances. Harry wished he had taken a bigger swig of the pain potion earlier. Maybe he could sneak back down to Gryffindor Tower during the party?

Ginny didn't ask where they were going. She had no idea what that scar was all about but she intended to ask Ron when they went back to Gryffindor Tower. Harry stopped and had his hand on the door to the astronomy room at the top of the tower. He couldn't hear anything coming from the other side of the door but knew that Hermione must have cast hearty silencing charms so Filch wouldn't hear them.

"Ginny, nothings changed, right?" He hoped he hadn't blown it with her with his odd behavior.

Ginny shook her head, "No, nothings changed." She hesitated before giving him a hug but finally leaned into him as he did the same to her. They held each other that way for a moment before Harry released her.

He put his hand on the door knob again and whispered with a grin, "Happy Birthday Beautiful."

Harry threw the door open with a bang and all hell broke loose. The room was packed with all their friends yelling "Happy Birthday!" Ginny was swamped with hugs and presents. Harry stepped away, still feeling the need for some space. Ron handed him a tall glass of fire whiskey with a warning, "Don't drink it too fast mate." Harry took the glass gratefully and chugged the entire contents.

"Whoa Harry! You're not going to make it into Hogsmeade tomorrow if you don't slow down," Ron warned. Harry didn't care, he asked for another glass of the harsh liquor. The hot liquid sliding down his throat made him forget everything. He looked around the room for the first time and was amazed at the decorations.

Hovering in the air were hundreds of the rainbow balloons along with colorful streamers. The banner floated in the air with a large picture of Ginny from the last Quidditch match flying around the words; Happy Birthday Ginny! The cake stood off to the side of the room in all its majesty. The frosting changed colors as tiny fairies flitted around the ever lit candles on top.

Most of the girls were crowded into the middle of the room, dancing to the sounds of the latest popular wizarding group. Harry was pulled out onto the dance floor by a pretty fourth year Hufflepuff he had only met in passing. She was tall with long blond hair and smelled like she had used too much perfume. She pressed her hips into him, pulling him close as she gyrated. With the fire whiskey's effects Harry started to feel himself respond to her and quickly moved back out of her reach. She pulled him close again singing loudly to the music and running her hands down the front of his shirt.

Ginny saw the Hufflepuff girl forcing herself on Harry and thought she better go save him. She pushed her way through the throng of people and grabbed Harry around the waist. He turned quickly and she thought she saw a look of panic on his face but it was gone before she could be sure.

Harry looked down at Ginny, glad that she had come to help him with this willing Hufflepuff. He had been dealing with over eager girls at Hogwarts ever since the beginning of the school year. It usually didn't bother him but he didn't want to take any chances of making Ginny angry this evening.

Ginny turned Harry to face her and placed a deep kiss on his mouth. She could taste the fire whiskey and thought she might try some herself. The eager Hufflepuff said something rude and walked away.

"I think Margot fancies you," Ginny said as she raised her eyebrows.

Harry shrugged and took hold of his girlfriend's hand, "Sorry bout that."

"Sorry about what? That you were getting all hot and bothered over an incredibly beautiful girl?" Ginny teased. "Why would I get mad over that?"

Harry looked towards the Hufflepuff and saw her pointing at him and Ginny as she stood with a group of her friends. Whatever she was saying probably was not the most flattering comments as all the girls broke out into laughter.

Harry shook his head, "She's not beautiful. And, the only girl that gets me hot is you." That comment earned him another good round of snogging, much to the disappointment of the Hufflepuffs. By the time he and Ginny came up for air, the group of Hufflepuff girls were on the dance floor once again.

The night was filled with dancing, drinking and lots of snogging. Harry couldn't remember ever having so much fun. The party ended late into the night with Ginny falling asleep on Harry's shoulder as they sat with their close group of friends. Harry picked her up and said good night to everyone before heading down to Gryffindor Tower.

Once he got there he was unsure what to do with his girlfriend. He knew the girl's staircase wouldn't allow him up into the dormitories and no one else was around to help. He finally decided to sit on the sofa until Ginny woke up. But as soon as he sat down, still cradling Ginny in his arms, she woke up.

She looked up into his face with a big smile, "This was the best night of my life."

"Yeah, mine too," Harry said and meant it. They kissed once more before Ginny said good night and went up to her dorm room.

Harry sat watching her until she disappeared up the staircase. The night had been so perfect, Ginny had been so amazing. He walked up into his dorm room with a big smile across his face, feeling truly happy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning everyone got off to a very late start. Harry woke up feeling awful with his head pounding and eyes red and swollen. He rolled out of bed noticing Ron was still fast asleep. By the time he showered and dressed Ron finally woke up.

"Harry, why are you up so early?"

Harry smiled, "its not early Ron. If you don't hurry you're going to miss breakfast."

Ron sat up slowly holding his head in agony. "Oi, I shouldn't have had so much fire whiskey. Harry do you think you could nick something from your dad to get my head to stop pounding?"

Harry had been thinking along those same lines as his head still felt like it would explode if he moved too fast. He went to his nightstand and pulled out the green vial of precious liquid.

"I have something that might help," Harry said and took a small sip before handing it to his best friend.

Ron held the vial not even questioning what it was. He took a swig and within a few seconds felt better. He actually felt so good that he hopped off his bed and danced a little jig sending Harry into hysterics. The boys couldn't stop laughing for some reason. They finally calmed down enough to realize they were going to miss breakfast if they didn't hurry.

Ron gave Harry a high five as he skipped off to the bathroom, "This stuff rocks, Harry!"

"Yeah, I know," Harry said feeling a twinge of guilt that soon was forgotten.

During breakfast everyone was talking excitedly about the big day in Hogsmeade. Most everyone on the Gryffindor Quidditch team planned on heading straight for the new Quidditch shop. Ginny was complaining that she wished she could afford the new Firebolt but Ron was telling her how lucky she was to have his old broom.

"When I was in fifth year I had to use the school brooms. Anyway Mum said she'd have your broom refurbished so it would fly like new," Ron offered as he stuffed another banger in his mouth.

"Refurbished isn't going to help it fly faster. It might look nicer but I don't care how it looks," Ginny retorted with attitude.

Harry pressed his hand to his pocket, feeling the platinum galleons. He thought he might have enough to surprise Ginny with the new firebolt. He didn't care if it was an extravagant gift for a sixteen year old to give his girlfriend of just a few weeks. He didn't care about anything right now, other than making his girlfriend happy. The thought of Severus' reaction to the gift did pass through his mind, making him look up towards the head table.

He was surprised to see his father rise from the head table and make his way towards him with a scowl on his face. What was bothering him now?

"Good morning sir," Harry said hesitantly at the look his father gave him. Harry's first instinct was that his father found out about the party. Then his face must have turned white over the thought of his dad finding out about the pain potion.

"Good morning son. We need to talk," the potion master said ignoring every one else at the table. He walked towards the big doors without waiting for a reply.

Harry saw Ginny's nervous look and reassured her with a smile. "I'll see you later," Harry said and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other with big eyes, both hoping the professor hadn't found out about the party last night. It wouldn't be beyond him to ground Harry from going into Hogsmeade today.

"I'd hate it if my dad worked at the school," Ron said and everyone agreed.

XXXXXX

Harry followed his father to the small alcove off to the side. Severus turned around and Harry could see he was indeed mad about something. Harry's insides were in a knot over the many possibilities this could be about, none of them good.

The nervous teen sat down on the bench and watched his father pace in front of him.

"Mr. Potter," Severus began and right away Harry knew he was in trouble just by the name alone.

"It has been brought to my attention that you foolishly disregarded the security that was in place for you last night," the stern voice gave no room for comment. "I can not fathom what was going through that small brain of yours other than to deduce that you were preoccupied with other matters. I am assuming your private meeting with Ms. Weasley was not of a nature you wished to be observed?"

Harry felt braver than normal, "That's private. I'm _not _sorry, if that's what you wanted to hear."

Severus raised an eyebrow over his son's impudence, "You are not sorry?"

Harry shook his head, "No," he leveled truthfully. "I hate being followed around and watched all the time. You know how much I hate it Severus, and you let them do it."

Severus seemed to become even more irritated with that last remark, "Your safety comes before anything else Potter! You leave me no choice but to detain you from leaving the dungeon this weekend."

Harry opened his mouth to argue but shut it quickly with the look his father gave him. Throwing caution to the wind, he spoke up.

"You know I already have plans to go to Hogsmeade with Ginny for her birthday," Harry said in his most controlled voice. He refused to loose it again and act like a petulant child.

"That plan will need to be altered. I will not take the risk of you doing something dim-witted while there are Death Eaters hunting you," Severus snapped. He didn't want to ground his son but he really did not trust the boy to comply with all the rules Moody would require to maintain his safety.

"Please don't do this. I promise not to do anything stupid dad," Harry pleaded.

He could tell his father was softening by his hard look starting to diminish into just a stern look. So, he was shocked when the Potion Master shook his head.

"No, I think not. You seem to think rules do not apply to you and I am not willing to take undue risks where you are concerned," Severus stated then turned and walked back towards the Great Hall.

Harry jumped up and followed him. "Undue risks! What the hell do you think I'm training for … a chess match! I'm going to be fighting Voldemort one day, so don't tell me about undue risks!" Harry said with anger.

"Control your temper Mr. Potter. I was not referring to your destiny, I was referring to your utter lack of control," Severus said in a calm controlled voice. They were standing just outside the Great Hall now and several students were milling around the entry way waiting for Filch to lead them into Hogsmeade.

"Severus I'm getting sick and tired of everyone telling me what to do all the time," yelled Harry, totally oblivious to the stares he was getting.

"Harry, I am not 'everyone'. You will abide by the rules I set forth because I am your father."

"I wish you weren't," Harry wasn't sure what made him say that because he didn't even feel that way. He had just wanted to hurt his father and this was the most direct way.

He saw the look of pain cross his father's face before the professor took on a stern demeanor once more, "I am sorry you feel that way."

The students watching their argument froze, not sure what would happen next. Just then Moody and his crew of Order members walked through the doors, ready for the trip into Hogsmeade.

"Ready Potter?" Moody barked in a harsh voice.

Harry stood looking between his father and Moody for a minute before saying, "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Alright let's go over the ground rules for this trip. Severus are you planning on joining your boy?" Moody asked.

Severus shook his head and went back into the Great Hall.

Harry couldn't believe he had just said that to his father, he hadn't meant it. The trip to Hogsmeade didn't seem very important anymore. "Professor Moody, I need to ask my dad something," Harry said to the ex-auror and went back into the Great Hall.

He saw his friends waiting at the table for him but just walked by them with his eyes focused on the head table. His father was talking with McGonagall when he walked up and he waited for them to acknowledge him.

Severus didn't even look at him but McGonagall stopped talking and looked from him back to Severus in confusion, "Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"I just need to speak with my dad for a minute," Harry said as he saw his father turn his head away.

McGonagall waited for Severus to acknowledge his son and when he didn't she knew something was going on between father and son. She bid them both a good day and left them to talk alone.

Harry stood waiting for his dad to look at him. When he didn't Harry finally spoke up, "I won't go to Hogsmeade. I shouldn't have said that because I didn't mean it."

"Perhaps you did," said the professor as he looked into his son's eyes.

Harry shook his head emphatically stating, "No! I didn't."

"Harry, I often feel that I am not skilled at parenting. It brings no surprise that you may feel that way at times as well." Severus said this with such sincerity that it made Harry want to grab the man and shake him.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. He had no idea why Severus would even think that. He had always been a great father.

"You have quite a crowd of people waiting for you," the professor indicated to the door. "Go, we will talk later."

Harry turned and saw all the aurors and his friends looking up at the head table expectantly.

"Go on son. Just be safe," Severus said as he turned to walk out the side door.

Harry was torn between following his father or going with his friends. The door to the hallway closed just as Ron yelled, "Oi Harry, let's go buddy!"

Harry stuck his hand in his pocket and rubbed the tiny vial. One small swig would make him feel so much better. It would erase all those bad feelings and put him into a much better mood. Yeah, a small swig would make his day in Hogsmeade a lot more fun.

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Hey all - I just found out I'm going to Paris next week and was wondering where I should stay? I'm tagging along with my four aunts so a hotel closest to the center would be best. They kinda like luxury with modern amenities. Any ideas? Let me know as soon as you can so I can make reservations.

P.S.

That is good news for you too because I'll be stuck on an airplane for fifteen hours with nothing but my little laptop! Maybe I'll get several chappys done.

PLEASE REVIEW!


	41. Chapter 41 Hogsmeade

-1Moody sent Harry's friends on ahead into Hogsmeade. Ginny and Harry waited patiently as Moody barked out his instructions to the other Aurors. They were to remain on guard and hidden using invisibility charms unless trouble was afoot. The Aurors took up their positions flanking the young Gryffindors, then cast the invisibility charms.

Harry felt uncomfortable to be the center of so much attention. He was glad the rest of the students had left by the time he was headed down to the main gates. On the other hand Ginny seemed like she wasn't bothered at all by the added security or attention they were getting.

Harry wished he hadn't left Severus under such bad circumstances, longing once again for his father to be here. Severus had a way of making him feel at ease in these types of situations. He thought back to their fight and wished it had never happened. What the hell was he thinking to say that he wished Severus wasn't his father? That had been the most idiotic thing ever to think, let alone to come out and say. Shame washed over him every time the conversation replayed in his head. The man had saved him in more ways than one and that was how he repaid him? What had made him say such a thing and more importantly why hadn't he stopped himself from saying it?

Ginny grabbed his hand and tried to cheer him up, "Harry what do you think the new Quidditch store is going to have?"

Harry shook his head not wanting to talk and followed Moody down to the main gates leading out of Hogwarts. He was feeling extremely irritable and wished he could shake the feeling before spending the day with Ginny. It didn't help any when he saw a line of reporters waiting with cameras and quills. Bloody hell, this was the last thing he needed. He felt annoyed over this whole day now. Why couldn't everyone just leave him alone instead of making his life so complicated? The pain potion wasn't making him have the same euphoric feelings as it previously had. Instead he felt aggravated and angry over things that normally wouldn't have made him feel that way.

Harry pulled his hand out of Ginny's and ignored her look of concern. Ginny tried not to let her hurt feelings show. She knew something bad must have happened between Harry and his dad but it still hurt to be rejected.

Moody pulled Harry forward and thrust him towards the large group of reporters, growling out, "Give them what they want here at the gates, so they don't follow you around all day."

Harry couldn't help thinking that his father never would have turned him over to this pack of vultures. If Severus had been here he would have given death glares to these people until they shied away. He felt no obligation to give these people any of his time after all the horrible things they had written about him in the past.

Harry stepped back through the Hogwarts gates and onto Hogwarts property before calling for Dobby. Moody glared at him over taking time out of the well thought out schedule.

The eager house elf was overjoyed to be summoned by Harry Potter. It took Harry a minute to calm the little creature down enough to get a message out, "Dobby, calm down! Go get my father and tell him… just tell him I need him."

Harry walked towards the gates once again, intending to ignore everyone and just walk right through into Hogsmeade. But the reporters blocked his way, forcing him to stop.

The noise level made it hard to hear the questions being asked as the reporters pushed for better position to take pictures and ask questions. Moody kept a meaty paw on Harry's shoulder and would jerk him away from anyone getting too close. Harry hated being yanked around, feeling like bait for a pack of wolves and he tried to pull away from the Auror.

Moody grabbed his shoulder and yanked him close, hissing out, "Don't try any funny stuff or you're goin back up to Hogwarts. Got it!"

Harry nodded as he was thrust towards the reporters once more. He answered a few questions but didn't pose for the cameras like they wanted. He began to wonder if going into Hogsmeade was even worth this rubbish. Rita Skeeter stepped forward and pushed his hair away from his scar as she signaled her photographer to take a picture. He saw fear in the photographer's eyes as he looked over Harry's left shoulder. Harry turned around and saw his father stalking towards the group of reporters with an angry scowl on his face. The reporters quickly backed up as the former Death Eater came closer to his son.

Moody took one look at Severus and let go of Harry's shoulder before stepping away.

Harry looked up at Severus with gratitude, "Thanks for coming Dad." Severus simply nodded his head. A bold photographer snapped a picture as Severus looked down at his son.

They were both bombarded with questions about the adoption and rumors of the prophecy. Harry ignored all of them and let his father lead him away from the reporters. When they were far enough away Severus rounded on Moody with a fierce look, "Exactly what were you hoping to accomplish by sending my son into that den of snakes?" His voice dripped with anger.

Moody growled out, "The boy can handle himself."

Severus ignored him and put his hand on Harry's shoulder as they made their way into Hogsmeade. Harry wished they were alone so he could talk to his dad about their earlier conversation. He was so ashamed over what he had said and wanted to set things right between them.

Once they arrived at the new Quidditch store Severus turned his back and stepped away from the door. Harry watched his father walk away, knowing that all was not well between them. Ginny pulled him by the hand into the Quidditch shop. The place was packed full of all the Quidditch players from Hogwarts. Everyone was going on about the newest Firebolt displayed on the wall. Every once and awhile the broom would zoom around the shop then land back on the display shelf.

Ginny stood staring at the broom. Her eyes grew big and she couldn't imagine what it would feel like to own a broom like that. The thought of riding Ron's old broom brought a grimace to her face.

Hermione spotted them first, "Harry, what happened between you and Professor Snape? He didn't find out about the party did he?"

"No, it wasn't that," Harry said and pulled them into an empty corner. "Severus found out I talked Tonks into stopping from following me around all night."

"How did Snape find out?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"Anyway, we ended up in this big argument and I said something really stupid," Harry explained, as he watched Malfoy walk in looking around guardedly. What was Malfoy up to now?

Ginny shook her head, "Don't worry Harry, Ron says stupid stuff to our dad all the time and my dad hasn't given him away yet. Professor Snape won't even remember what you said by tomorrow."

Harry highly doubted Severus would forget the hurtful comment he had made, "Maybe, but I think I'll talk to him tonight about it."

Hermione gave him a sympathetic smile and patted his arm, "Good. I'm sure everything will be just fine."

Harry didn't want to talk about it any further and excused himself before walking up to the counter.

He thought about the way Ginny was looking at that broom. He signaled the proprietor over and whispered something to the owner then handed over most of the platinum galleons he had. He wrote something down and handed it back to the proprietor. The man smiled at the Gryffindor and nodded his head.

Harry turned around bumping into Malfoy. Draco whipped his wand out before realizing it was Harry. He sneered as he stuck his wand back in his pocket. "Hey Potter, buying another broom in case yours gets a scratch on it?" Draco teased.

Harry laughed, "That's exactly what Ron said one time." Harry's comment brought a grimace to the Slytherins face.

"Don't ever compare me to Weaselbee," Draco warned.

"Why did you pull your wand out anyways? Know something I should know?" Harry joked, wondering why Malfoy was on edge. But the look Draco gave him made him think something really was going to happen. Harry grabbed Draco's arm, "What's going on Malfoy?"

Draco looked around, then leaned closer to Harry, "Just watch yourself Potter. My father knew I was coming into Hogsmeade and I had never told him the trip was today."

"Is that it? Your all jumpy because your father knew today was Hogsmeade day?" Harry asked confused over what had the Slytherin acting so suspicious.

"Think about it Potter, how else could he find out?" Draco said in an exasperated tone.

"Dunno, maybe Dumbledore let all the parents know ahead of time?" Harry guessed but clearly understood what Draco was getting at.

Draco rolled his eyes, "I highly doubt that. But have you ever thought my father found out through the Dark Lord? If the Dark Lord contacted my father in Azkaban with that news then he must be planning something."

Moody was prepared for just that event to happen. The ex Auror had drilled that fact into Harry's head the entire way down to the gates. With security so high Harry hardly even thought twice of an attack.

"Did you tell Severus about your suspicions? "asked Harry.

"No, I don't know if anything really is going to happen. But if I was you, I'd stick close to Moody," advised Draco. Harry nodded feeling slightly alarmed he moved on to look for his girlfriend. He found her still gawking at the Firebolt as the rest of the Hogwarts Quidditch players milled around finding all sorts of helpful items.

"Hey beautiful," Harry said as he pulled Ginny into a hug.

"Where did you go off to?" Ginny asked as Neville bumped into her and apologized.

"Just looking around. Ready to go to Honeydukes?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I'm getting tired of imagining how much better I would be playing on that Firebolt," Ginny said as she took hold of Harry's hand with a sigh and let him lead her out the door.

They walked out of the Quidditch shop and were stopped half way down the street by a mother with her son. Harry saw the mother push her young son towards him as she asked, "Excuse me Mr. Potter, but I was hoping you could give my son an autograph?"

Harry looked down at the nervous child before him as the ginger haired boy held out an old article with Harry's picture on the front. The boy looked up and Harry smiled over the similarities he had to Ron. The boy had ginger hair with big blue eyes and a crooked smile. Ginny noticed it too as she laughed and said, "Hey, you look just like my brother did at your age!"

The boy looked to Ginny, a little angry over being laughed at, then asked, "Who are you?"

Harry spoke up before Ginny could, "This is my girlfriend Ginny. Her brother Ron is my best friend and you look like you could be his little brother." The boy seemed to like this and reassessed Ginny before he decided she was alright after all. He pushed the article at Harry once more. Harry took a quill from the boy's mother and signed his name across the bottom of a moving picture of himself flying on his broom, "So what's your name?"

"I'm Tim. I'm going to Hogwarts in two years and I hope to be the seeker for Gryffindor," Tim offered as he took the article back from Harry.

"Seeker huh? Have you been practicing?" Harry asked, fully intrigued by this miniature Ron.

"Yup, I practice every day almost. I have every article ever written bout you and I study the moves you make during the games," Tim announced proudly.

"Well, I guess I'm lucky I'll have graduated by then or else I'd have some serious competition," Harry said with a smile as he ruffled Tim's hair.

The boy smiled up at Harry, even more in awe of his hero now, "Do you think I could come to one of your games, Mr. Potter?"

"Call me Harry. I'm not sure what the rules are about visitors coming for the games but I could ask. Why don't you give me your address and I'll ask my dad and let you know."

"You mean it! You really mean it?" Tim said as he bounced on his toes in excitement.

Harry could hardly keep from laughing over the boy's enthusiasm.

Before he could say anything else though, something horrible happened. Large black balls of smoke started raining down out of the sky. Harry's heart sunk over recognizing what they were. As each ball hit the ground a Death Eater appeared with his wand held up ready for battle! The evil men had white skeleton masks hiding their dishonorable faces. Screams could be heard from the students running to take cover.

As if everything was happening in slow motion Harry heard the first hex spoken as it flew out of the end of the closes Death Eater's wand. The hex hit a student trying to hide behind a cart on the sidewalk. The Hufflepuff student went down without a sound. Just then pops could be heard as the Aurors cast away the charms that had made them invisible and now they could be seen throughout the street. Several Aurors and Order members were trying to get closer to Harry to protect him but were being stopped by hexes and curses.

Harry heard one of the Death Eaters say, "Grab the girl and Potter!" Two more Death Eaters were making their way towards Harry.

Harry pushed Ginny behind him as the mother grabbed hold of her young son. He looked around for the safest place for them to hide. The closest thing to them was wooden crates piled high with fruits and vegetables. He pushed Ginny towards the mother and boy as they crouched behind the crates. He held his wand up, ready to defend them. Before he knew what was happening, he saw Ginny standing beside him with her wand in the ready.

He didn't have time to argue with her as the Death Eater closes to them cast a 'stupefy' their way. Harry blocked it and threw his own 'stupefy' back to the Death Eater. Just then screams could be heard coming from down the street. Harry turned toward the screams and his heart dropped over what he saw.

A group of Death Eaters came marching towards him with their wands out as they cast hexes at anybody they saw on the street. Harry looked around frantically for a door to push Ginny and Tim and his mum into. He had to get them hidden before the group of Death Eaters spotted him. The Aurors were yelling curses and blocks out but they would soon be out numbered. Harry saw his father fighting off a group a Death Eaters, with curses flying around hitting the walls with sparks. He could tell his dad was trying to get to him.

He willed the uncontrollable magic to save him once again but to no avail. Why wouldn't it work? He cast a hex at the closest Death Eater, sending the man into hysteria as his body was covered in bursting boils. It wasn't pleasant to look at but it had been the first curse he had come up with. Harry watched as the man withered on the ground screaming out in agony. A few more curses were sent his way and he could feel his shield becoming weaker.

A fire had started in one of the shops and a stream of Hogwarts students were forced onto the sidewalk. The older students and D.A. members fought alongside the Aurors, helping to even the numbers out slightly.

Severus could see Harry fighting and he desperately wanted to be beside his son to protect him. With every step closer it seemed another Death Eater turned their attention to keeping him away. He was fighting off three Death Eaters when Moody came to his side and helped him gain enough ground. He threw out a couple more 'stupefys' as he inched towards his weakening son.

Harry had two Death Eaters taking turns throwing curses at him. He did his best to block them but for some reason his blocks wouldn't hold for very long. The street was filled with screams and small fires as people ran for cover and Death Eaters tried to pick them off.

A tall Death Eater with black pointed boots cast out, "Crucio!" The curse hit Harry spot on, sending him to the ground in agony. His insides twisted in knots sending waves of fierce pain throughout his body.

He screamed out in agony as a dark figure appeared beside him, "Hello Harry."

The curse ended and Harry saw exactly who had cast that spell, but he couldn't believe his eyes. How did Lucious Malfoy escape? Had everyone escaped from Azkaban? The Death Eater was walking towards him in slow measured steps as the fighting continued around them.

Harry saw Ginny frozen in the corner as she was hit by a stupefy. He felt awful for letting something like this happen to her. He couldn't believe that he had been so weak!

Harry was on his knees as he raised his wand up in a shaky hand and yelled out, "Bellatora!"

The warrior blast hit Malfoy in the arm but it didn't stop the man from casting the same curse back towards him. Harry held up his shield but it hardly slowed down the blast. He was hit on his side as the blast went right through him and hit someone behind him. With sickening recognition, Harry knew exactly who it hit when he heard the young boy's screams of pain.

Before Harry could yell out anymore curses Severus came swooping down standing between him and Malfoy.

The fight didn't last but a few seconds but to Harry it seemed an eternity. Severus cast several quick curses effectively hitting his target every time. Harry watched as two Death Eaters hit the ground and Malfoy staggered back. Two more Death Eaters came at them but Severus effectively hit them with curses that had them frozen in place.

Severus turned his head for just a second to check on his son when he was hit with a curse he had never known existed. The pain filling his head was blinding and the last thing he remembered was falling on top of his panic stricken son.

Harry had never heard that particular curse before but he saw the look of terror in his father's eyes before the man fell on top of him. Harry heard that same curse being cast once again and felt an incredible pain fill his head. The pain was so overwhelming that he lost consciousness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry woke up with a heavy weight pinning him down to the ground. He tried to move out from underneath it but he found himself much too weak. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn't actually dark outside but that his face was covered in a black cloak. He pushed the cloak away from his face and saw the streets had quieted down but for Aurors walking around checking on the bodies that lay on the ground.

The whole event played back in his mind and in a rush of terror he realized exactly what was holding him to the ground. He turned slowly so as not to hurt his father and tried to push the body off himself. Within seconds he was surrounded by several Order members taking hold of Severus and helping Harry to sit.

Harry looked back to see Ginny sitting up against the wall with Mr. Weasley kneeling in front of her. Harry turned back around to see the Aurors rolling his father onto his back. He couldn't tear his eyes away from his father's pale face. His heart stopped as he saw one of the Aurors press his ear to Severus' chest. The man sat back up and nodded his head, indicating that Severus did have a heart beat. Harry slumped to the ground in relief. Just then several more Aurors appeared. They scanned the area quickly before announcing that all was clear.

Harry felt someone embrace him but didn't even look towards Remus as the man asked him several questions. The only thing Harry could focus on was his father's motionless form.

Several more people asked him how he was feeling and if he was hurt but Harry couldn't take his eyes away from his father's ashen face. He had never seen his father in such a vulnerable position and it disturbed him greatly to realize he was the cause for this travesty. If only he had been strong enough to defend himself then Severus wouldn't have had to come to his defense. If only he had been strong enough then Ginny and Tim wouldn't have been hit.

Harry watched the mother cradle her still crying son and whisper soothing words to quiet him down. It broke his heart to know that his shield had not held and now the boy was hurt.

The students were ushered back up to the school, leaving the town a deserted wreck. Harry knelt down next to his father as Remus tried to convince him to leave.

"I'm not leaving my dad," Harry said in a voice that shook with emotion.

"Come now Harry, we're all going to the infirmary," Remus cajoled.

Harry shook his head, "No! I'm not leaving him. I'll go back with my dad."

Remus and Moody gave each other knowing looks but relented and let Harry stay. Finally the wards to the school were lowered giving Moody just enough time to apparate Severus to the infirmary.

"Come now Harry, I'll take you to see Severus," Remus offered as he wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulder. They apparated into the infirmary and Harry collapsed on the bed next to Severus.

Harry's head hurt worse than he could ever imagine and the after effects from the Cruciatus were still sending shudders throughout his body. His ribs were on fire where he had been hit by the Warrior blast and he could only imagine how Tim was feeling.

"Tim! Where's Tim?" Harry asked through heavy breaths.

Moody looked at him in confusion, "You mean that boy that was behind you?"

"Yeah, he was with his mum," Harry said with so much effort he thought he might vomit from the pain in his head.

"The injured townspeople were taken to St. Mungos."

Harry fell back against the pillows, feeling overwhelmed with guilt. He looked around at all the beds and counted out ten students and three injured Order members. Healers from St. Mungo's had arrived and were attending to the wounded.

Madame Pomfrey turned her attention to Harry. She bustled up to his bed and waved her wand across his body. She shook her head and poured out several different potions into a cup. "Drink this Mr. Potter. It seems you have been hit with the Cruciatus once again. You've also been hit with the same dark curse Severus was hit with but luckily it must have just brushed by you. I'm afraid I don't know much about that particular curse."

"Will Severus be alright?" Harry asked with alarm.

Madame Pomfrey wasn't quite sure what to say. That curse was against Wizarding laws to use and she didn't have much experience with it. "I wish I could tell you, Harry. We'll have to wait and see."

Harry tried to get up so he could sit next to his father but several hands pushed him back down on the infirmary bed. "Calm down Potter, there's nothing you can do for Severus," Moody insisted.

"Lie down Harry, you need to heal yourself," said Remus as he pulled the covers over Harry's legs.

Harry wanted to protest, he wanted to push them all away and sit by his father but he was so tired suddenly. His eyes closed unwillingly and his body felt like lead.

The last thing he remembered hearing was Moody whispering, "Do you think Severus will make it?"

And Madame Pomfrey whispering back, "It's too soon to tell but it doesn't look good."

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	42. Chapter 42 Hope Is A Funny Thing

Hope Is A Funny Thing-

Harry awoke to the sounds of someone crying softly. He sat up and realized he was still in the infirmary. The pitch black sky proved that it was well into the night. He looked to his left and saw his father lying unconscious in the bed next to him. Harry ignored the person crying and slowly made his way to a chair next to his father's bed. His head was pounding with every move he made along with the sharp sting in his side, making him yearn for the pain potion.

Harry looked at his father with sadness overtaking him. He reached for Severus' hand and held it with a fierce grip of anxiety. Severus looked like a corpse as he lay motionless and deathly pale on the hospital bed. Harry reached his other hand up and pushed a stray hair away from his father's face.

Thoughts of their last conversation played through his mind:

"Severus I'm getting sick and tired of everyone telling me what to do all the time," yelled Harry.

"Harry, I am not 'everyone'. You will abide by the rules I set forth because I am your father."

"I wish you weren't."

Had he really said that last part? Harry couldn't imagine why those words had ever left his mouth. And now once again, another person he loved was in danger because of him. If anything happened to Severus, Harry knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He held onto Severus' hand for dear life, praying for a miracle to happen. Severus had been trying to protect him and this was the outcome. There had never been anyone in his life that he relied on so much, trusted so much and come to respect so much.

Madame Pomfrey came back into the room with a cup in her hand. She stood at the foot of the bed watching the teen with sadness tugging at her heart. The child had more woes in his life than bearable.

"How is your head feeling, Mr. Potter?" Poppy asked with true concern over the grieving child.

Harry shook his head and willed the lump in his throat to go away, without much success.

"I'm okay," he said in a strangled voice.

"Hmm, I highly doubt that," Poppy said as she handed Harry the cup. "I must ask you a very important question Mr. Potter. It is imperative that you answer truthfully."

Harry looked up at the medi-witch as he drank the contents of the cup.

Poppy stood directly in front of the boy, looking at his face intently, "When I scanned you for injuries I found an exorbitant amount of Obesidic pain potion running through your blood stream."

Harry quickly looked down at his feet, shaking his head in quick denial, "Oh yeah that. Well, um I've been in lessons with Moody and I guess I'm not so good at blocking yet."

"When was your last dosage?"

"Yesterday before I went to Hogsmeade," Harry whispered out.

"And before that, how often have you had that potion?" Poppy asked.

"Um, I guess it was last week. But that was the only other time. I think I accidentally took too much yesterday," Harry lied hoping the medi-witch believed him.

Madame Pomfrey thought that sounded plausible and it would also account for the high levels still running through the child's bloodstream. She nodded her head and gave the boy a pat on the shoulder, "Since that potion can become addictive, I feel it best that you not be given anymore. Unfortunately it is the only potion to relieve that sting in your side you seem to be guarding against."

The medi-witch was interrupted by another voice, "He'll be fine without that pain potion. The boy needs to learn how to work through pain anyways," Alastor said in a commanding voice.

Harry whipped his head around to look at the ex-Auror. Shame washed over him once again at his poor performance in Hogsmeade.

Poppy looked at Moody with anger, "The boy hardly needs more pain in his life." With that said she pushed past the ex-Auror and went into her office.

Harry let go of his father's hand and stood up, facing Moody, "I'm sorry sir. I-I don't know what happened today."

Moody frowned at the boy, not the least bit affected by his remorse. "Maybe people will start to listen to me and stop treating you as if you're a spoilt child. I want to see you in my classroom at ten o'clock in the morning with no excuses!" Moody growled out before turning and limping out the door.

Harry dropped his chin down, yearning for the pain potion. Madame Pomfrey was still in her office and he didn't want to take any chances of being stopped. He gathered his belongings and gave the professor another glance before heading up to his room.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning Harry was awoken by Ron shaking his shoulder, "Hey, Harry!"

Harry sat up noticing the bright sun shining through the windows, "Bloody hell, what time is it?"

"Almost ten, you slept through breakfast," Ron said. Harry jumped out of bed and dug through his trunk for fresh school clothes. "How's Ginny?"

"She's fine. My Mum wants to take her home but Ginny is against it," Ron answered.

"Maybe she should go home. She might be safer there," Harry said, thinking: safer away from me.

"Yeah, but try telling her that. She threw a fit when my mum even suggested it."

Harry grabbed a vial out of his drawer before making his way into the bathroom. By the time he came out Ron was already gone. Bloody hell, he was going to be late for his lessons with Moody if he didn't run! That pain potion was making him feel irritable and tired but he couldn't help earning for it.

He barreled through the Defence classroom door, forgetting about the ambush that Moody always set up for him. As soon as he was in the classroom a bolt of lightening shot directly at him, hitting him in the chest. He immediately felt a tingling sensation and his skin was crawling with tiny bugs. He swiped at them, trying to get them off but they were hanging onto his skin with tiny razor sharp teeth.

"It's no wonder your father is lying in a hospital bed. Exactly what will it take to get you to learn Defence?"

Harry looked up at Moody with a surge of hatred, "Shut up! Don't talk about my father!"

Moody hobbled up to the irate teen, glad that he had affected him, "Unless you wish to spend every waking moment in detention … you best apologize."

Harry wanted to scream in anger while he was still covered in tiny creatures biting him mercilessly.

"Sorry sir," Harry bit out begrudgingly. The last thing he needed was to be kept away from his father. It was already bad enough that he hadn't had time to see him this morning before having to come here.

"I'm sure you are," Moody said with derision. He decided to give the boy a break and waved his wand. The tiny creatures crawling over Harry disappeared. Moody went to the front of the class indicating for Harry to follow.

They worked on several curses and blocks before Moody gave up. What was wrong with Potter? Moody knew the boy should have been able to block all the hexes thrown at him and his blocks should have held. He thought maybe Potter was on pain potion from the blast he received yesterday. That would account for the slow responses and weak blocks. Besides, it was obvious the boy wasn't concentrating, his mind was definitely elsewhere. Moody relented, "Potter, I'm not pleased with your performance today. I know you have the ability to do much better."

Harry's shoulders slumped, knowing the professor was right, "Sorry sir. I guess I can't stop thinking of Severus."

"Fine, I'll see you in two days. By that time you best have your act together," Moody rebuked as he waved the door open.

Harry jumped at the chance before the professor changed his mind. He ran out the door and all the way down into the infirmary, not even stopping to talk when Ginny said hello.

He pushed the infirmary doors open and stopped dead in his tracks. Sitting next to Severus holding his hand was Ms. Fairchild. Harry walked up slowly trying to assess the situation. It suddenly occurred to Harry that he really didn't know much about Severus' life before this past year. Had Severus been in a relationship with Ms. Fairchild previously?

Ms. Fairchild looked up and let go of Severus' hand as she spotted Harry. "Hello Harry. How are you feeling?'

"Ms. Fairchild, is everything alright with my father?" Harry walked to the opposite side of the bed.

"Madame Pomfrey said his condition has not changed."

Harry sat down in the chair next to the bed and took hold ofSeverus' hand. "He saved me you know?"

"Yes, I was there," the kind woman revealed. At Harry's puzzled look she continued, "I was stationed at the opposite end of the street. Security was rather high with Professor Moody in charge. Unfortunately it was needed. I saw Severus' heroic measures. I'm not sure Severus will appreciate his new heroic status though." Fairchild handed a copy of the Daily Prophet to Harry.

There, plastered across the front page was a picture of Severus throwing himself in front of Harry, only to be hit with the nasty unknown curse. The moving picture showed the professor landing atop his son in a black heap. The caption read: 'Harry Potter's New Father Saves Him!' Below that was another picture taken earlier that day when Severus had stood next to Harry at the gates of Hogwarts. He was looking down at his son with the unmistakable look of pride.

"May I keep this, Ms. Fairchild?" Harry asked as a lump formed in his throat.

"Of course." the tall witch thought she should give the boy time alone with his father and rose to leave. "Do you mind if I come back to visit your father?"

Harry looked up, "How do you know him?"

"He and I were very good friends at one time. He holds a special place in my heart. Do you mind if I stop by after work tomorrow?"

Harry could tell that there was much more to the story but didn't want to pry. "I'm sure he would like that." He watched the kind witch speak to Madame Pomfrey before leaving with a backward glance at Severus.

Harry looked back at the professor, trying to find any sign that his father was getting better. The man looked like he was on death's door with a sickly pallor to his already pale face. Harry squeezed his father's hand whispering out, "Come on Dad, don't leave me. I need you … please don't leave me." He sat that way for close to an hour before Madame Pomfrey came to check on her patient.

"So you're back again Potter! Who gave you permission to leave last night?" Poppy asked with annoyance.

Harry sat up straighter, as a surge of anger coursed through him, "I'm fine Madame Pomfrey."

"I'll be the judge of that," the medi-witch raised her wand ready to examine Potter.

Harry stepped back away from her. He knew full well she would find out about the pain potion he took this morning if she was allowed to assess him. "I don't need anymore assessments. I'm perfectly fine," Harry said with irritation.

"Mr. Potter I will not put up with this insolence from you. Now take a seat and let me do my job!"

Harry started to panic at the thought of being caught with more pain potion running through his bloodstream. "I'm fine! Just leave me the hell alone!"

Poppy stood with her hands on her hips, ready to put this insolent child back in his place, "You have no right to speak to me in such a matter! If Severus were awake he would be seriously disappointed with your behavior!"

Just then an alarm went off signifying a turn for the worse in Severus. Poppy immediately turned her attention to the Potion Master, waving her wand over him. Her heart sped up as she realized his heart had stopped.

Poppy shook her head saying, "Oh no you don't Severus … you will not leave this child alone!" She quickly brought her wand down on Severus' chest as sparks flew into the man.

Harry stood frozen, unable to move for fear of letting the panic take over him. He watched as the medi-witch shot bolts of lightening into his father's chest then watched as his father's body arched upwards. What did this mean? Was Severus dead? Oh Merlin, NO! NO! This can't be happening. It was his fault, all his fault. Why had he insisted on going into Hogsmeade? Why hadn't he been able to defend himself?

He heard someone screaming out "No! Don't die!" Harry shook his head, unable to comprehend the thought of losing the one person he trusted. He abruptly realized it was him yelling out. He clamped his mouth shut, willing Severus to move on his own.

A healer pushed Harry out of the way as he rushed to Severus' side. Harry watched the man blast a bolt of lightening into the Potion Master. Severus didn't react; there was no sign of life, no movement.

Dread swept over Harry as he saw that his father was no longer breathing. The healer pulled out all sorts of potions forcing them down Severus' throat. Madame Pomfrey was frantically trying to get Severus to breathe.

Professor Dumbledore suddenly appeared beside Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hope is a funny thing, you never really know if it will be fulfilled," Dumbledore stated as Professor McGonagall stepped into the room at a fast pace.

Harry watched as the Headmaster raised his wand over Severus, chanting a complicated spell. Both the healer and Madame Pomfrey seemed to know what he was doing and stepped back away from the bed. Within seconds Harry could see his father breathing on his own.

Dumbledore stumbled away from the bed, seemingly to be drained of energy. Professor McGonagall escorted the old Headmaster to the floo and they both disappeared.

Harry rushed to his father's side before he was pushed back by the healer once more. It was another hour before he was finally allowed to stand beside Severus' bedside. He sat down in the chair holding onto Severus' hand. He didn't move away from his father for the rest of the day.

At midnight Madame Pomfrey tried to make him go up to his dormitory but Harry refused. She must not have wanted to get into another fight with the Gryffindor because she didn't force the issue. The next morning Harry was still in the same spot when Hermione made an appearance.

"I brought you something to eat," Hermione placed a plate with toast on the nightstand.

"Thanks, but I'm not very hungry," Harry said as he rubbed his tired eyes. "Severus died yesterday."

Hermione placed a hand on her chest as she took in a deep breath, and looked at the pale professor.

"Dumbledore brought him back to life. He hasn't woken up though. I think Malfoy's spell is blocking his mind from waking," Harry rambled out. He saw Hermione's look of confusion and added, "I've been trying to get into his thoughts but all I see is blackness."

"Maybe he'll just wake up on his own. What was he hit with?"

"I don't know. Friggin Malfoy used some sort of dark magic. I hate that bastard!" Harry spat out.

Hermione gave her best friend a hug and asked, "Ginny and Ron want to see you. Is it okay if they come by?"

Harry shook his head, "I don't think Severus would want anyone to see him like this."

Hermione stayed with Harry for another hour, giving him a run down of all the people who had been hurt in Hogsmeade. In the end they had all ended up to be fine. She tried to get him to study but he refused.

"I can't concentrate right now. It's hard to think of anything other than Severus getting better."

Hermione nodded her head, "I suppose you're right." She gave her best friend another hug on her way out, "Take care of yourself Harry; Professor Snape would want you to eat."

XXXXXXXX

Harry stayed by his father's side for the next two days with Hermione bringing him food a couple times a day. Madame Fairchild came to visit at one time giving Harry a chance to leave the infirmary and get more pain potion. The pain potion made him feel calmer for a bit before he felt irritable once again. He took bigger sips, trying to sustain the feeling of euphoria for just a bit longer.

Moody came looking for Harry when he didn't show up for lessons. He spotted the boy looking worse for wear with his head resting on his folded arms.

"Potter, did you forget our appointment today?"

Harry sat up straight, rubbing the sleep from his tired eyes. He looked at the ex-Auror and shook his head, "I'm not leaving my father."

Moody looked Potter over with narrowed eyes, "You don't look right boy." The boy looked more than just tired, he looked unsteady and shaky. Moody was quite familiar with wizards taking illegal potions and if he didn't know any better he might think Potter was high.

"You still taking that pain potion boy?"

Harry stiffened at the accusation, "No sir."

Moody looked from the boy to the potion master. Severus looked as if he was death's door. Maybe the boy was just emotionally distraught. He thought he would keep a close eye on Potter anyways.

"Come see me tomorrow Potter," Moody said and left the boy to his grieving.

XXXXXXXXXX

On the third day Malfoy came in and walked towards the bed tentatively, "How's he doing?"

Harry looked at him with contempt, "I dunno, why not ask your father? He might know how long Severus is going to be like this."

"I didn't know he would do something like this to Severus. I mean I've known Severus since I was a baby and my dad had him over for supper all the time. I can't believe he did this to him," Draco said with sincerity. The sight of his professor in that state made his stomach tie up in knots, but knowing that his father was responsible for it made him feel even sicker.

"What are you doing here Malfoy? Get the hell away from my father," Harry said as anger quickly took hold.

"Shut up Potter, I've known Severus a lot longer than you have. Just because he adopted you doesn't mean he still isn't important to me."

Harry shook his head and turned his back on the Slytherin. He took hold of his father's hand once again trying to ignore Malfoy.

Draco moved to stand on the other side of the bed and took hold of Severus' other hand whispering out, "Sorry Severus, I'm so sorry."

Harry looked up in time to see Draco swipe away a few tears. Harry didn't say anything else to the Slytherin and he didn't force him to leave either.

XXXXXXXXXX

On the fifth day Harry still had not left his father's side and had purposely ignored Moody's request for training. The ex-Auror knew too much, putting Harry on guard against seeing him. He asked Professor McGonagall to intervene and give him permission to skip training until his father was better. She seemed touched by the request and said she would talk with Moody on his behalf. Harry felt relief over not being caught with the potion running through him.

Late that day Madame Pomfrey had already given her daily admonishments about him eating a proper meal and sleeping in his own bed. Harry had refused, not bothered in the least by her nagging.

He had his head resting on his father's hand when he felt someone touching the top of his head. He slowly lifted his head. His father was staring back at him through bloodshot tired eyes.

"You're back," Harry whispered out afraid he was dreaming.

Severus pushed his son's hair away from his face, relieved the boy had not been harmed during the attack.

"Are you alright Harry?" Severus asked in a raspy voice.

Harry immediately poured his father a cup of water and handed it to him.

"I'm alright but how do you feel?" Harry asked as he swallowed the huge lump in his throat.

"Other than a pounding headache, I am fine," The Potion Master said as he reassessed his son. The boy was wearing rumbled dirty school clothes and he looked as if he hadn't slept for days. The boy's eyes looked tired and swollen, as if he had been crying and his hands were shaking.

The professor suddenly realized Harry had never left his side. It was perhaps the first time in his life to have someone care enough to actually sit with him during his convalescence. His heart surged with emotion for this boy.

"How long have you been here?" Severus asked with concern over his son's tremors.

Harry shrugged his shoulders, "I dunno." He swiped at a few tears that were threatening to fall, "You died Severus, do you know that you died?"

"I'm okay now son. I'm not leaving you," Severus whispered out with emotion.

That was all it took for Harry to crumble. After watching his father actually die then watching the man lay frozen for days, Harry was flooded with relief. Giant tears sprang forth as Harry struggled to stop them.

"I thought you were going to die. I thought …" Harry couldn't continue.

"I do not intend to leave you son," Severus said as Madame Pomfrey bustled into the room.

"Severus! You're back!" Poppy declared and pulled her wand out. Harry stepped back away from the bed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands. The pain potion was making it impossible to hide his emotions.

After a thorough examination Madame Pomfrey announced the black magic to be gone. She looked back at Harry as he leaned on the bed next to his father. "Now maybe you can get your son to start taking care of himself. For Merlin's sake, the boy hasn't left your side for days and refuses to go to classes. I'll tell you Severus, you have your hands full with that one," The medi-witch declared as she pointed her wand at Harry.

Harry flushed with shame over being admonished in front of his father. Severus noticed his embarrassment and quickly spoke up, "I could not be prouder of his fierce loyalty." Severus reached his hand toward his son and Harry took it with gratitude.

Madame Pomfrey shook her head, "You've gone soft when it comes to that boy." She poured a few potions into a cup and watched as her patient drank. She shook her head and headed back into her office.

"Perhaps it is time you slept in your own bed?" Severus suggested.

Harry nodded and let go of his father's hand, "I never meant what I said."

Severus looked at his son with confusion.

"Before we went to Hogsmeade I said something stupid. I just want you to know that I never meant it. I'm really lucky to have you for a father," Harry said as he tried to hide fresh tears.

Severus lay back on the pillows, a feeling of relief flowing through him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ginny snuck into the sixth year boy's dormitory, hoping to find her boyfriend. She found him fast asleep still wearing his rumbled school shirt. Next to him on the bed was an empty vial with the remnants of a green liquid stuck to the sides. She held the vial in between her fingers before placing it on the nightstand. She figured he must still be on potions for all those curses he was hit with during the attack.

Ginny knew what had been happening to Professor Snape through Hermione and felt sorry that her boyfriend had almost lost his dad. The news floating around the school was good though. Professor Snape seemed to be cured of the horrible dark curse. That would account for Harry sleeping in his room once again. Ginny thought she would wake him up by snuggling next to him but quickly changed her mind when Ron walked into the room.

"What are you doing in here?" Ron asked in an accusing tone.

Ginny blushed but stood up straighter when she faced her brother, "Just looking for my boyfriend."

Ron scowled at her, "He's sleeping, now get out. You're reputation is bad enough without sneaking into the boy's dorms!"

"Shut it Ronald, you're going to wake Harry!"

"Harry's awake," mumbled out Harry. He rubbed his eyes and sat up facing the Weasley's.

"Oops, sorry. Harry, I've been wanting to talk to you. I got the present you sent. It's the greatest gift I ever got but it's too much," Ginny said with a sad smile.

Harry had completely forgotten about the broom. He reached for Ginny's hand, "Ginny, you have to keep it." With a wicked smile he continued, "If you don't I'll give it to Ron."

Ginny looked appalled by that statement, "Well in that case … I guess I'll keep it."

Ron groaned with disappointment, "Great, now she's going to be flying loops around my old broom."

Ginny threw her arms around Harry giving him a quick kiss on the lips, "Thanks for the present."

Ron groaned again, "Do you mind?"

Ginny looked at her boyfriend's tired swollen eyes with concern, "Are you alright Harry?"

Irritation washed over Harry, tired of being assessed at every turn, "I'm fine."

"Well you don't look it," Ron said.

Harry ran his fingers through his dirty hair, realizing how bad he must look right now. He unconsciously flattened the front of his school shirt with his hand.

"How's Professor Snape? I heard he was better," Ginny asked to change the subject.

Harry smiled at the thought of his dad being back again, "Yeah, he's better. Actually, I should get up and go down to see him." He had been asleep for almost ten hours.

Ginny moved off the bed but stopped Harry before he went into the bathroom to shower and change.

"Thank You," said Ginny as she pulled Harry into a firm embrace. "I miss you."

Harry hugged his girlfriend back, "Yeah, I miss you too."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

TBC

Paris was so beautiful! I can't wait to go back!

Sorry about not getting four or five chappy's out but my laptop crashed on the plane. On the other hand , I did watch the entire season of Lost on my little dvd. Cheers! Oh, yeah, if your happy I gave you two chappys then review please +)


	43. Chapter 43 Petrificus

-1Harry went directly down to the infirmary after getting ready. He didn't stop in the Great Hall to eat or see any of his friends. He was eager to see how much better Severus had gotten after a good nights rest. When he walked into the infirmary he stopped dead in his tracks. Professor Moody was standing next to Severus' bed. They both stopped talking when they saw him and looked directly at the nervous teen.

"Come in Harry," Severus commanded in a stern voice.

Harry felt as if his feet were made of cement as he walked towards the adults. He wished he hadn't taken such a big dose of that pain potion before heading down here now. He looked nervously at Moody then back at his father as he ran a finger along the collar of his school shirt.

"Harry, it seems we have a problem," Severus said as he looked his son over. The boy was definitely nervous about something; he just hoped Moody wasn't right in his accusation.

"Yes, sir," Harry said in the steadiest voice he could muster.

"Professor Moody is concerned that you have been taking Obsedic pain potion. I will ask you directly, are you taking pain potion?" Severus leveled at his son. He watched as the boy walked to his side and placed a hand on his arm. His son looked him directly in the eye before he spoke.

"No sir," Harry said while shaking his head.

Moody made a derisive sound, "Potter you've been acting oddly. I don't like the look of your bloodshot eyes and shaky hands."

Harry held tighter to his father's arm and ignored Moody by turning his back and speaking directly to Severus, "I haven't taken anything, I promise. I've just been sleep deprived since I didn't want to leave the infirmary… I didn't want to leave you." Harry's heart was racing.

Severus was offended when Moody came to speak to him about his son and now the boy just confirmed his innocence. The Potion Master looked at Moody with contempt, "Your suspicions are groundless. Next time you choose to accuse my son of anything you best have proof."

Moody grunted, "You're just going to believe the boy? You're not going to demand Pomfrey to assess him?"

"Yes Moody, I am just going to believe my son and no, I will not have Poppy assess him. I trust his word whole heartedly," Severus said with disdain towards the ex-Auror.

"Fine," Moody spat. He grabbed hold of Potter's shoulder and forced him to turn around, "I want to see you in my classroom today at ten o'clock."

Harry staggered towards the bed when Moody let go of his shoulder, "Yes sir."

Moody left the infirmary with another backward glance at the boy.

Severus scowled, irritated that Moody had the audacity to accuse Harry of anything when the boy was obviously distraught. He looked at his son's downcast eyes, "Do not give the Professor any notice, just do well in Defence today."

Harry nodded his head, fearing the worst. He ate breakfast in the infirmary with his father before heading off to class.

XXXXXXXXX

Potions with Professor Flitwick turned out to be a disaster when Harry accidentally added two wrong ingredients. The explosion forced everyone out into the hallway. Harry begged Professor Flitwick to not tell Severus. The tiny man agreed since he did feel rather sorry for the boy. Everyone realized the strain Potter was under with Severus still in the infirmary and so close to death.

Defence class was even worse with Moody still angry over the morning's conversation. Harry tried with all his might to hold up shields to block the hexes coming his way but the shields were always weak. After an hour of being pummeled with various hexes Harry finally begged for the lesson to end.

The only reason Moody relented was because the boy was obviously in pain. Moody still thought Potter was on some potion or another and decided to talk with Poppy and Minerva regarding the boy. He had seen plenty of Wizards high on potions and Potter was definitely acting strange. If Severus needed proof then he was going to get it.

By the end of the day all Harry wanted to do was climb under his covers and go to sleep. He had piles of homework and found concentrating nearly impossible. He was supposed to meet Malfoy for tutoring but decided to skip out and go visit his father instead.

When Harry walked into the infirmary he was surprised to see the room empty. He ran down to the dungeon. When he walked into the dungeon apartment he saw Severus sitting at his desk, rifling through piles of unanswered mail.

Severus looked up and Harry could see the man still looked tired and weak.

"Hello son. What brings you down here? I presumed you would be in a tutoring session with Mr. Malfoy."

Harry stood at the entryway deciding how best to answer that question. "I can't concentrate. Do you think I could just hang out in here … with you?"

Severus furrowed his brow, trying to decipher Harry's unsteady demeanor. The boy looked positively on edge, ready to break at any moment. "Harry, you do not look well. Come here son," The Potion Master said as he pulled his wand out.

Harry could barely move for fear of being discovered. He looked at the wand in his father's hand wearily.

Severus narrowed his eyes, "I said come here."

Harry wasn't exactly sure what he should do. He was on the verge of being discovered but he just couldn't disappoint his father like that, not after all the man had just gone through.

"Um, I think I better go find Malfoy," Harry stammered out and turned around. He grabbed the handle to the door as a bolt of lightening shot past him. The door knob wouldn't turn, Severus had locked him in.

"Come to me this very instant Mr. Potter," Severus said in a firm voice. He watched as his son walked towards him slowly.

In desperation Harry spat out, "You don't know what I've been going through Dad. You don't know how afraid I was … you died! You left me and you promised you wouldn't. Everyone leaves me, everyone!"

Severus' eyes grew big with shock over the way his son was acting. The boy was pleading desperately, making Severus nervous over what the assessment would reveal. He ignored his son and waved his wand down the length of the boy's body. Right away a cloud appeared with letters proving that the boy was indeed filled with the toxic pain potion. Severus' hand shook as he tried to control his anger.

Harry stood with his hands down at his sides, shame washing over him in giant waves. His father looked at him with disappointment and anger clearly written on his face.

"I'm sorry Dad, I'm so sorry," Harry pressed his forehead into his hands with shame and dropped down to his knees.

Severus couldn't move, he sat motionless as he took in the situation. He blamed himself for the entire state of affairs his son was in. He should have done more to help the boy through his tortured life. He should have forced the boy into talking, even taken him to a healer of the mind.

"How long have you been taking that potion?" Severus asked in a near whisper as he watched his son sit back on his feet.

"Not long," Harry said in a raspy voice. "I swear, it hasn't been long."

"Where did you get the potion?"

Harry stood up, holding onto Severus' desk and stepping away from his father. "Um, well I took it from the cabinet in your office."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "You mean you stole it from my stores," he stated flatly.

Harry looked everywhere but at his father, "I won't take anymore, I promise."

Severus leaned forward and grabbed Harry by the chin, forcing the boy to look at him, "You lied to me, you stole from me and worse yet, you hurt yourself by drinking that potion."

"Please dad, please don't be angry. I swear I just took it because of Vespa and the bad memories I had," Harry begged. Severus abruptly let go of his son's face and watched as Harry staggered back.

Severus thought of the offer Moody had made this morning. The ex-Auror wanted to take his son to the secret location and train him with a host of other Order members offering their help as well. The Order thought it best to remove the boy for his own protection. It was obvious that Voldemort was becoming desperate to get his hands on Harry. The boy would be safe, hidden away and not have access to any sort of pain potion.

But Severus didn't think he could stand to be away from his son or send him away after what the boy had just endured. Nevertheless, he didn't think he could keep a close eye on Harry and it was obvious the boy would need constant supervision at this point.

But, how could he send his son away? Maybe the boy was telling the truth and he really was finished taking that pain potion? Harry did look remorseful after all.

"I need time to think about the situation," stated Severus without emotion. "Go into your room and begin your studies. I will be in shortly to speak with you."

Harry obeyed without question. He went into his room, closing the door softly. He remembered hiding a vial of the pain potion under his mattress and made his way to the bed. He ran his fingers along the bottom of the mattress until they bumped into the vial. He held the vial in his fingers, twirling the green substance around. It would feel so good to just have one final drink. There was enough in there to give him a good stretch of euphoria. After all, this would be the last time he ever had the stuff.

He sat down on the floor in front of fire. He wasn't sure how long he sat there before deciding that he would take the last of the pain potion. Uncorking the vial, a waft of the strong potion hit his nostrils making him yearn for the substance. He had just tilted the vial up to his mouth when his bedroom door flew open.

Severus had decided to give his son another chance. He thought he would give him a detoxifier that would clean his blood of the pain potion, then watch over him carefully. Maybe even have the boy watched by a few other professors until he regained his strength. Harry had been through too much to fathom sending him away. The boy needed him, that much was obvious.

Severus made up the potion and went into Harry's room. Upon opening the door he shocked over what he was witnessing. Harry had a vial tilted into his mouth. The Potion Master had to force himself to remain standing as he could feel the small amount of energy he had leave him.

Severus leveled his wand at his son yelling out, "Petrificus Totalus!"

The boy went rigid and the vial fell to the ground. Severus levitated Harry onto the bed ignoring the boy's tears. He forced Harry's mouth open and poured the foul tasting detoxifier into his mouth. Harry gagged but Severus rubbed his throat, forcing him to swallow.

"Finite Incantatem!" Severus said and grabbed hold of his son's shoulder's before the boy could bolt.

Harry scrambled to sit up, pushing his father's hands away from him. "What the hell did you give me!"

"Exactly what you needed," stated Severus. "Dobby!"

The tiny house elf appeared, his ears pressed flat against his head when he saw Harry Potter with tears.

"Go get Moody. Tell him Harry will be ready to go in an hour," Severus said unemotionally. He ignored his son's pleas and started to pack a trunk for the boy. When Harry made a run for the door Severus whipped his wand out and locked it from the inside.

Harry grabbed the door knob shaking it with anger, "Let me the hell out! I hate you!"

Severus ignored his son and searched Harry's belongings for more pain potion. He found two more vials hidden in the book bag, one empty the other full. Harry ran over and grabbed his arm, trying to get the vial.

"Give it me! It's mine! You have no right to go through my stuff!" Harry yelled frantically. Suddenly he was overtaken with a wave of nausea. It roiled through his body fiercely, causing him to fall to his knees. Harry grabbed his stomach panting in pain, trying to stop himself from vomiting on the floor.

"Just relax son. Let it come out," Severus offered and knelt on the floor next to his son. He rubbed his son's back until the boy pushed his arm away.

"Get the hell away from me! You're a liar and I hate you!" Harry spat before he threw up violently. He felt his father hold his head and whisper out words of comfort. Unconsciously he leaned into his father, letting himself feel comforted, perhaps for the last time.

He knew where he was going; he knew he was being taken away. Another wave of nausea came upon him. He threw up until his sides ached and his head pounded. His father had called forth a magic bucket making the vomit disappear when it fell into the bucket.

Harry held onto his father's arm, yelling out horrible words one minute and clinging onto him the next. Why was this happening to him, hadn't he been through enough? He lay on the bedroom floor panting and glad for a moments reprieve.

"Don't send me away Severus. Please don't make me go Dad," Harry pleaded as his father pushed back his wet hair.

Severus looked down at his son, grief over taking him over what the child had lived through. But he had to stay strong; he had to keep his son safe at all costs. He had already failed the boy in so many ways, now was his chance to fix this mess he had put his son through. He vowed to himself to become stricter and to never let himself be ruled by emotion again, no matter how much the boy pleaded.

"Harry, I do not want to send you to train but it may be your undoing to stay with me. I have failed you son, I have failed you in every way possible," The Potion Master said with grief.

"You'll be failing me if you send me away! Don't you see if you make me leave then you will be failing me?" Harry yelled. He was so exhausted, so spent. Another wave of nausea hit him and he lurched forward onto his hands and knees.

Severus watched as Harry became free from the harmful effects of the noxious potion. With the detoxifier he was sure his son would not feel anymore longing for the potion. It broke his heart to send him away but now he was more certain than ever that it was the only option.

Just then Moody knocked on the bedroom door. Harry tried to stand but was so exhausted he fell back down to the floor. Severus stood up and grabbed Harry's cloak from the closet. He gently wrapped his son in the cloak and helped him to stand.

"Please dad, please don't do this," Harry pleaded. Severus hardened his heart as he mustered the strength to unlock the door. He felt as if he was barely holding onto consciousness, ready to pass out at any moment. He had left the infirmary against Poppy's orders and had promised to go straight to bed. Now he could clearly see why she did not want him to leave. He held onto his shaking son, partly for comfort, partly for balance.

Moody walked into the room and straight to Potter. The boy looked worse for wear barely able to stand. He also noticed Severus looked pretty bad himself. "The wards are down Severus. We have to make this quick."

Moody didn't wait, he yanked Potter away from his father and before the boy could protest they apparated away.

The last thing Harry saw was his father crumble to the ground.

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Schools out, I'm free!

I am trying to get a count for how many people are actually reading this. If you have not added me to your author alert list I kindly ask that you do so now. Just review and it will give you the option to add the story to alert. Thanks a bunch!


	44. Chapter 44 More Lessons

-144 -

Harry felt the unsettling squeeze when he was apparated with Moody. He abruptly landed on a dirt floor in a heap. Moody stepped over him and disappeared through a canvas door. Harry sat up and looked around. He was sitting in the center of a canvas tent with nothing but a cot and desk and chair in it. This tent was nothing like the one the Weasley family had used during the Quidditch World Cup. This tent was just canvas and poles with not so much as a window. There was an old fashioned lantern swinging from the center pole that gave off odd shadows.

Harry was so exhausted from purging the pain potion out of his system that he didn't even care that he was sitting on the dirt ground. He sank back onto the ground while pulling his cloak tighter around his shivering body. He was still in shock over Severus actually sending him away to train. His father had promised him he wouldn't let that happen. He hated Severus with a vengeance, hated him more than Voldemort. Betrayal was a cold companion. He tried not to think of his father falling to the ground back at home. Exhaustion took hold and it wasn't long before he passed out on the cold dirt floor.

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Harry awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs cooking. For a moment he thought he was home, until he sat up and looked around. He was still on the ground. It didn't surprise him that Moody wouldn't think to come in and help him to bed. He stood up on shaky legs and dusted as much dirt off himself as possible.

When he emerged from the tent he saw the place that was to be his new home for the foreseeable future. He was in a giant dry ravine, between two large craggy mountains. The ravine was about as wide and long as the main street of Hogsmeade. Ironically, Harry thought it was the perfect place to train. He couldn't hurt anyone here with errant hexes or blocks.

He saw the group of Aurors sitting around a large fire cooking their meal. A row of tents like the one he slept in last night was lined up next to his own.

"Slept in, did you?" Moody said in an accusing tone. "This is the last day you'll be doin that. Come on over and let's go over some ground rules." Moody pulled out his wand and another crate slid over to the fire.

Harry looked at all the Aurors before taking a seat. Besides Moody there was Shacklebolt, Tupin and Tonks. Tonks smiled at him and patted his arm reassuringly.

"No Tonks, they'll be none of that. The boy is not to be coddled or pampered," Moody barked out harshly. Tonks agreed and moved her hand away from Harry.

"We're here to train you to fight Voldemort. The faster you catch on the faster you get back to Hogwarts. End of story. No owls comin or goin, no visitors, no complaining. Got that?" Moody's tone was authoritarian.

Harry looked down, not about to agree to anything. As far as he was concerned the first opportunity he had to get out of here he would take.

Moody whipped his wand out and Harry felt a sharp sting to his arm.

"Ouch, what the hell do you think your doing?" Harry screamed at the Auror.

Moody stood up and the other Aurors looked at him with alarm.

"When I ask you a question you answer 'yes sir' or 'no sir'. You got that boy?"

Harry rubbed his arm as flashbacks of Vernon began to flood his head. "Yes sir," he said in a defeated voice. He knew exactly how to behave when someone like Vernon was in charge.

"Now here's the rules; Number one, you will be up at dawn to begin exercises with Tupin. Breakfast will follow. You will eat a special cereal designed to help you build muscle mass. No complainin. Got it?" Moody asked and gripped his wand.

Harry looked wearily at the wand, "Yes sir." So, no bacon and eggs then. Figures.

"Next you will have training with me. I don't want to hear any belly achin over any pain you suffer for not holdin up blocks. If you don't want to get hurt then you better learn how to block. Severus isn't here to hold your hand or put you to bed. Got it?"

Harry was filled with anger over the mention of his father, "Yeah, but I don't want to get into any trouble when _you_ get hit with one of my hexes either!" A bolt of lightening came at him in a flash, hitting him in the same spot on the arm.

"Ouch! Shit, what the hell are you trying to do!" Another bolt of lightening came his way, this time hitting him on the leg. Maybe he better keep his mouth shut, he thought.

"Need more lessons boy?" Moody said in a condemning tone.

Harry whipped his head up to look at Moody. Those were the same exact words Vernon used during his so called lessons. "Um, no sir," Harry answered quietly.

Moody smiled, "Just do as you're told and we'll get along just fine."

Harry looked at the other Aurors. They all had their heads down or were turning away. Tonks looked like she might be holding back from yelling at the ex-Auror.

"Tonks and Shacklebolt will take turns training you in the afternoon. You're to get all your studying done by nightfall. When the sun goes down, you go to bed. You don't come out of your tent at night. There are all sorts of creatures around here that will be happy to help Voldemort out and have you for supper. The most important rule is that you never leave the ravine. As long as you stay in here Voldemort can't trace your whereabouts. If you go past that mountain you better be prepared to be punished. Understand boy?"

"Yes sir," Harry answered with a large lump forming in his throat.

Moody seemed satisfied with his answer and handed him a large bowl of what looked like oatmeal.

"I'm not hungry sir," Harry said as he looked into the bowl.

"I didn't ask you if you were hungry. You eat everything you are given no matter what. I don't care if I have to force it down your throat!" Moody spat out in exasperation. "This here is a magical cereal that will help you to gain muscle mass."

Harry believed the ex- Auror _would_ force it down his throat. He grabbed hold of the spoon and forced himself to eat the bland food. It settled in his stomach like a rock.

When he was finished he looked around for his trunk. "Sir? Could I have my trunk?"

Moody stopped eating his bacon and eggs to look at the boy, "Don't have it yet. I'm goin back tomorrow so you'll have to make do until then."

"Will you bring Hedwig back too?" Harry asked with hope. He couldn't stand to be away from his bird after what they had endured together.

"There's no need for any owls around here," Moody snarled out.

Harry dropped his head into his hands, not caring that the other Aurors where watching him. He wanted to scream in frustration over being trained like a damned animal. He hated it here, hated Moody and most of all hated Severus for making him come here.

Training with Moody proved to be a lesson in agony. Every time Harry didn't move fast enough or hold a block up long enough he would get punished. The punishments were swift and without mercy. Harry came to dread the thought of getting hit with another stinging zap to his arms or legs. He did pick up the pace and try though. By the end of the day he was nervous and jumpy for fear of getting zapped. The worst part though was Moody yelling at him not to show pain when he got hit.

When the day was finally was over Harry sat on his bed and looked at his bruised arms and legs with consternation. He couldn't believe that Severus was subjecting him to this sort of treatment. The man was always talking about not laying hands on him in anger yet sent him to get pummeled for not moving fast enough. The irony of this situation was not lost on him. Harry didn't think he would ever forgive Severus for this total betrayal.

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The following week went much like that first day. By the end of the week Harry finally decided that back talking and disagreeing was not beneficial to his health. He held his tongue when Mad Eye taunted his poor skills. It was an awful feeling to be so helpless and restrained. Without meaning to, Harry's survival instincts kicked in and he became obedient to all the commands that he was told to do.

For Moody's part he knew what he had to do. With any basic training you broke the person down before building them back up. Potter was no exception except that the boy seemed to conform more quickly than most. It did plant a seed of concern in the old Auror when the boy stopped fighting back so soon into the training. He knew the boy's past and worried that the abuse the boy suffered in the past was contributing to Potter's sudden conformity. It wouldn't do to have the boy lose the fortitude he had seen in class.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On the seventh day Harry was working on hexes with Moody and failing dismally. For some reason he couldn't muster the energy to throw the spells very far. Moody had zapped him a few times, hoping that would drive the boy into trying harder.

Harry couldn't take it anymore and was filled with fury and hate towards the man. He gathered those feelings and shot a hex back at the Auror that knocked him onto his back. Moody stood up and shouted words of praise. To Harry they sounded like words of horror. So, was that what Moody wanted him to become? Did he want him to learn hexes and curses driven by hatred and fear? It became plain to Harry that Moody didn't care how he came about achieving those spells, as long as he could do them.

That was not who Harry wanted to become. Ever since he heard about Voldemort he had feared he would become just like him. He didn't want to gain power through fear and hatred. He needed to get away from this place before he lost himself. He needed to find someone to help him escape.

By the end of the day it became apparent that no one would help him get away.

He tried talking with Tonks but she would just shake her head and walk away. He just wanted to get a message to Dumbledore, but the pink haired Auror refused. Training was the only thing she would talk with him about.

After a few more attempts Tonks finally said, "If I help you contact anyone at the school then I'll be sent away. Do you really want me sent away Harry?"

Harry knew she was the only thing stopping Moody from getting harsher with him. His shoulders slumped in defeat, "No, I guess not."

"Just train as best you can so you can go back sooner," said Tonks encouragingly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day after lunch he had another training session with Moody. Moody took him up the craggy mountain. Harry stood near the top of the mountain and looked around at the heavy terrain on the other side. The other side of he mountain was filled with dark ominous trees and oddly shaped rocks.

Moody spat out, "Don't go getting any ideas about making a run for it. That forest is haunted by some dark creatures. This here is as close as you should get to that place."

Harry nodded his head, feeling a little more hope of getting out of here slip away.

"Potter, we're working on a pretty advanced curse today. I know some of the Death Eaters were using it on us during the Hogsmeade fiasco," Moody said and watched as the boy ducked his head in shame.

"Is it the same curse that brought Severus down?" Harry asked uncomfortably.

"No, that curse is dark magic. I'll not be teachin you that stuff. This curse is as close to dark magic as we're goin to get. It will bring a grown man down in a flash if he gets hit with it. Now you got to muster up as much magical energy as you can from the surrounding area and use it to block this curse. I'll start out with a weak variation so as I don't hurt you," Moody said and moved away from the boy. "Get your block up boy!"

Moody raised his wand pointing it directly at the dark haired teen, "Acerbitas!"

The bolt of lightening shot at Harry and broke through his block. Harry felt the dark energy in the hex before he crumbled to the ground. Moody made his way back to the boy, "_Ennervate!_"

"Come on boy! You've got to try harder than that!" the frustration was evident in Moody's voice.

Harry tried but his heart just wasn't in this, he refused to pull in the dark energy that inhabited these mountains. He pulled as much good energy as he could but the block failed again. The next thing he knew he was being woken up by Moody once more.

"I'm goin to push you till you get this block down boy. I don't care if it takes us all night!" He pointed his wand at the boy and zapped him for good measure. Harry flinched but didn't cry out or that would earn him another zap. He stood up and brushed the dirt from his cloak.

Harry tried again, he really tried. He was getting tired of hitting his head on the craggy rocks every time the curse broke through his block. He was trying not to let his anger control him. Trying not to become powerful through anger.

Moody didn't let up. He didn't cut the boy any slack. After several more failed attempts he began to get concerned for the teen. The boy's head was bleeding in a few different spots from being smacked down to the ground. It wouldn't be wise to hurt Severus' son permanently. Moody knew Severus was beyond reason when it came to his son. If the Potion Master knew how his son was being trained, Moody had no doubts he would have a fight on his hands. The ex-Auror was wise enough to realize he wouldn't be on the winning end of that fight either.

When Harry came to he saw Moody walking away from him and heading back to camp. So, the old Auror must have given up on him, huh? He stood up and felt hot sticky liquid running down his face. He knew it was blood but didn't care.

Harry went back to camp with his heart void of hope. Nothing really mattered anymore. He went into his tent not complaining about his head to anyone. It was easy for him to live with pain without complaining, he had Vernon to thank for that. He sat down on his bed and waited to be called out to supper. A supper that consisted of the bland tasting disgusting goop.

When Tonks came in to get him she was shocked over his appearance. Harry hadn't bothered to wipe away the blood from his head or face. She carefully tended to his wounds, with the intention of giving Moody a piece of her mind.

Moody stormed into the tent reprimanding Tonks for disobeying rules and helping Harry tend to his wounds. Tonks yelled back at Moody that he was being too hard on Harry.

The fight was escalating until Harry finally spoke up, "Professor Moody's right, I should learn how to tend to my own wounds. Sorry sir, it was my fault."

After that Harry made sure to not accept anymore help. He didn't need the guilt of getting someone else in trouble.

After supper Harry went back into his tent to begin his studies. He could hear Tonks and Moody fighting about him before Moody put up a privacy spell. He finished his work and fell into another dreamless black sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry followed directions as if he was on auto pilot. He did everything he was told but the life was quickly being drained from him. By the second week all the Aurors had noticed.

Moody couldn't punish the boy because he had been doing everything he was told. The boy would only speak when spoken to and answer back with 'yes sir' and 'no sir'. How could you force someone to have passion for what they were doing? It was transparent to Moody that the boy had lost heart and was falling into a depression.

To become a good fighter you had to have mind, body and soul committed to the challenge. Moody decided he needed help. He had a high stake in getting this boy into top form; his life depended on it as did the rest of the Wizarding World's.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back at the school, Severus sat in his office looking over the daily report from Moody. It seemed that his son was doing quiet well with his training. It had hurt Severus terribly to send his son away but he didn't have a choice. The boy needed constant supervision and with the dark curse still plaguing him it just wasn't possible for him to keep a close eye on the boy. Severus dropped his head into his hands as he thought back to the day he sent Harry away. The look of betrayal on Harry's face had stayed with him as if it were carved in stone.

Severus had come to the awful realization that Harry must have been deeply troubled to resort to pain potions to mask his emotions. He felt so terribly guilty for not addressing the abuse Harry had suffered in his past. Especially after bringing those feelings to the service after the Order meeting. Why hadn't he pushed Harry into talking about it?

Before sending Harry away, he had told himself that he would join his son as soon as he was strong enough. Help to train him and help him emotionally recover from the past year. But the reports coming in were so good that Severus thought maybe Harry was better off training without him. This was the first time in his life that he was lacking confidence in how to proceed.

After Harry left Severus had collapsed on the bedroom floor. It was another two days before he was conscious again. He woke up in the infirmary with Ella Fairchild by his side. It had been a nice surprise to see her again. Their bond had once been strong.

"I sent my son away," Severus informed Ella.

"Yes, I heard as much," replied the serious witch. "I hear he is doing fine though."

Severus knew the Order members would have been apprised of Harry's performance by now. "That is good to know. I fear he will hate me before this is over."

"Severus, I've never seen a child so devoted to his parent before. It would take much more to make your son hate you," Ella said with support.

"Harry has been through so much though. He needs to know that I am not abandoning him to Moody. Moody has asked that I refrain from contacting my son for a few weeks," Severus said dryly.

"Perhaps it will help Harry to acclimate to his surroundings, Severus," Ella suggested.

Severus went against his better judgment and decided not to contact his son for a week or two. He wanted to make this transition as easy as possible for the boy. He missed him more than he thought possible. Everyday he made the long walk up to the owlry to sit with Hedwig for a bit. He felt somewhat closer to his son in the bird's presence.

Now the two weeks were up and he read the report once again. His son had gained weight, was following the schedule and had surpassed his training schedule. If Harry was doing so well then why did he have a feeling of underlying dread? Severus couldn't shake the feeling and thought he would send someone he trusted to check up on his son. He knew if he went himself he would bring the boy back with him if his son requested. The reality was that Harry had no choice but to learn to defend himself against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. He wouldn't be a very good father if he brought Harry home simply because he missed him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron and Hermione were shocked when they heard that Harry was gone. Ginny was beside herself and avoided Snape at all costs. They couldn't believe that Snape had actually sent Harry away. Ron was angry at the professor and let the man know it the first chance he had.

Snape had been absent from class but had finally returned by the time Harry had been gone for five days. Ron waited until just he and Snape were alone in the classroom.

"Excuse me sir, may I have a word with you," Ron asked in a controlled voice. The man still looked ill but that wasn't going to stop Ron from giving him a piece of his mind.

Severus stopped what he was doing and gave his son's best friend his full attention. "Yes, Mr. Weasley?"

"I just wanted you to know how crummy I think it was that you sent Harry away. He was counting on you to protect him from Moody and that bunch," Ron said heatedly.

Severus raised an eyebrow, "You have no idea of what you speak. I'll spare you the sordid details but my son was not in control of his actions."

"Oh, you mean that pain potion he took?" Ron blurted out before realizing he just revealed too much.

Severus walked around to the front of his desk and looked down with fury at Weasley. Ron tried to step back but bumped into the desk.

"Of what do you know about the pain potion?" Severus said in clipped tones.

Ron paled as he thought back to the day he and Harry took the potion; Hogsmeade day!

"Oh well, it was just one time Professor," Ron stammered out as he saw the professor reach for his wand. He felt a tickle in his brain then the professor lowered his wand. What the hell just happened?

Severus saw into Weasley's memories. He saw the day his son took the pain potion with his friend. He had to control his anger towards Weasley when he realized it was Hogsmeade day. He also saw the reason why Harry was feeling ill enough to want the potion. The party and alcohol up in the Astronomy Tower would be dealt with severely.

"I hope that party for Ms. Weasley was worth getting detention for the next month," Severus said in a controlled voice. "You may inform your fellow classmates that everyone who attended will be punished severely."

This was not how Ron pictured this scenario going. He stumbled towards the door not exactly sure what just took place. From then on Snape was in a horrible mood. Every class was filled with ridicule and points being taken. Snape was in such a foul mood that he even took points from Slytherin.

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Harry lay on his stomach across the cot. Today he was being given a few precious hours to himself. It was the first 'free time' he had in two weeks. He didn't really have anything special he wanted to do so he just stayed in his tent. He had his chin on his arms when the tent door opened. Harry was shocked to see Ms. Fairchild walk in.

"Hello Harry, may I have a word with you?" Fairchild asked kindly.

Harry sat up and pushed his hair back from his face. Right away Ella noticed how much the boy had filled out. His face no longer was thin but had a fullness she wouldn't have thought possible in such a short time. His arms looked more muscular as did the rest of his body. Severus would be pleased to hear that Harry did look much healthier.

Harry waited patiently for the tall witch to begin. He pushed the chair towards Ms. Fairchild and watched her take a seat next to his cot.

"I am here at the request of your father," Ms. Fairchild began. "Whatever you choose to tell me will stay between us, I promise. My job at St. Mungo's is to heal the mind. I've taken an oath to keep our conversation between us."

Right away Harry shook his head and flopped back down onto his stomach, turning his head away from the witch. "You can tell my so called _father_ to go to hell," mumbled out Harry as he closed his eyes.

"Why are you so angry with him Harry," came a soft voice.

"Oh, let's see, where do I begin … maybe because he sent me here to get my assed kicked on a daily basis… or maybe because he put a mad man in charge of my training … or better yet because he decided I made one too many mistakes and sent me away!" Harry unintentionally screamed out the last part. Angry at himself for losing control.

"That is not true. He's doing it for you, Harry."

He felt a gentle hand rub his shoulder. He moved out of her reach, "Don't okay? I'm not allowed to have anyone touch me while I'm here."

"What do you mean?"

"Moody doesn't want anyone treating me like a child, that's all. I'll get in trouble if he catches you touching me," said Harry in a tired voice.

This last statement bothered Ella more than any of the other accusations.

"Don't worry I don't really want anyone touching me anyways," Harry said when he saw the alarm on Ms. Fairchild's face. Shit, if he told her about Moody hitting him with hexes all day she might have a heart attack.

"Auror Tonks told me that she is concerned for you. She thinks you are depressed."

Harry snorted at that, "Look all I want to do is…" Harry suddenly stopped talking as he realized he didn't have a home to get back to. Severus sent him away, he couldn't go back there. Dumbledore must have approved this for it to take place so even Hogwarts was not an option. He was truly on his own now. That thought shook him to the core.

"What is it Harry? What are you thinking?" Fairchild asked softly.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Harry said in near whisper.

"Harry, are you really fine? Severus is concerned about your state of mind."

"Does he want me to stay here?"

"He said to tell you that he expects excellence from you. That he's getting reports and hopes you do your best right through the end," Fairchild said kindly. Severus had discussed the best way to motivate his son without making him yearn for home. They both agreed that supporting the Order was best for everyone involved.

Harry took it a completely different way. He heard something underlying in those comments. In his ears he heard his father say "don't come home until you succeed". His heart dropped for fear of not being good enough. He knew he had never been good enough for Vernon and now Severus would abandon him for failing. He could never be good enough at everything that was expected of him.

He sat up and looked at the kind witch before him. "I understand," Harry said pensively, "You can tell Severus that I won't ask to come home. And that I'm sorry I messed up, I don't deserve to be forgiven."

Ms. Fairchild looked at him uncertainly. She didn't know how to take his last comments. She didn't have time to question Harry because the tent door opened and in walked Moody.

Harry shot up off the bed and stood at attention. "Yes Sir."

Moody looked from Fairchild to Potter. "It's getting dark out. Potter needs his rest," Moody stated flatly.

"Yes sir," Harry said in a firm voice.

Ella stood up, not quite able to pinpoint what bothered her so much about this scene. She knew the boy was in a training program but wasn't prepared for his sudden obedience to the ex-Auror.

"Would you mind if I came back for another visit? " Ms. Fairchild asked.

Harry looked at Moody then back at Ms. Fairchild, "I think I best just focus on training right now."

Ms. Fairchild bade them both a farewell and left to report back to Severus.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry followed orders and went right to bed. He looked up at the canvas ceiling thinking about his conversation with Ms. Fairchild. Severus must still care about him somewhat if he was worried enough to send a mind healer. But Severus had sent the message that made it abundantly clear that he was not to return home until he mastered this training.

Harry thought about all the horrible lies he had told his father. Lies that would enable him to get high. Not only had he lied to Severus but had stolen potion, yelled at him and even told the man that he hated him. Shame like he never felt before washed over him in giant waves. How could he treat his last hope of family like that? He hated himself even more and wished he had some of the pain potion just to help forget about the rotten things he said and did. The more he thought about his behavior the more he couldn't blame his father for sending him away.

He needed to tell Severus how sorry he was for all the hideous things he had done. He had to just get a message to him and ask his forgiveness. In the mean time he vowed to train harder than ever before. If his father was getting reports then he had to make sure they showed nothing but his best. Without Severus he had no future worth looking forward to. He would make up for all those awful things he did to his father by training beyond expectation.

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The next morning Harry was ready for his exercise program. He ran harder and faster than ever before. Tupin actually commended him when the training ended. Moody noticed the difference in his charge after their first round of blocks and spells. The boy was quick and shot back spells with ease. He didn't praise the boy but did offer to let him eat the same food everyone else had for lunch.

Later that day Moody put Potter through his paces, checking to see that the boy had actually retained everything he had learned this morning. Towards the end of the training session Moody could tell the boy was bordering on exhaustion. He could no longer hold his blocks and his spells were falling short. Moody didn't feel the need to punish him because Potter was doing a fine job of punishing himself.

When the session ended Moody walked up to Potter and asked, "You had those spells down Potter, what happened?"

Harry looked nervous when he answered, "Sir, you're not going to report that to Severus are you? I'll get it right, I promise."

"We'll see," said Moody as he realized why the boy was being so hard on himself. Potter was concerned that Snape would hear about his poor performance. Moody thought this bit of information could work to his advantage. Maybe Potter would work harder if he thought Severus demanded it of him.

Moody stood back and watched as Potter continued practicing until he got the spell right. Oh yes, this bit of information would definitely be advantageous.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

TBC


	45. Chapter 45 Exculpation

-145 - Exculpation

Harry had been at the camp for approximately two weeks. The first week he fought against everything Moody forced him to do. That had only brought about bruises and harder tasks to complete. The second week a thought occurred to him, the thought formed into a vision: he was being trained into a soldier … by _Aurors_. He would eventually be proficient in spells, hexes, blocks, transfigurations and so much more, all taught by real Aurors. He just might end up being strong enough to defend his friends if it ever became necessary again. And the most important thought: he could prove to Severus that he was worth keeping by succeeding.

Harry knew that last thought was completely pathetic but it ruled his existence. It ruled his every waking moment. So, it was with this new vision in mind that Harry put all his efforts into succeeding. He took every lesson to heart and shut down his emotions. He became the soldier in training that everyone desired him to be. If there was one thing Harry had a lot of practice in, it was closing off a part of himself, hiding his emotions. It would help him to survive if Severus decided he was not worthy to be kept.

With Harry's past record of family, the thought of being rejected was one he had already lived. He knew it would hurt but he also knew he would survive it if his father decided not to forgive him, just as long as he kept his emotions in check.

XXXXXXXXXX

As week two came to a close, Harry joined the Aurors for dinner around the fire pit. Moody was talking to Tonks about the upcoming Order meeting that he would be attending the next evening. Harry thought that if he could just talk with Severus for a few minutes he could make the Professor understand how betrayed he felt over being sent away but that he had accepted the decision his father made. He couldn't shake the part of him that feared Severus was in the midst of abandoning him. He just had to know!

"Sir, may I make a request?" Harry asked in his official voice that Moody seemed to approve of.

"What is it?"

"Would it be possible for me to attend the meeting with you, sir?" Harry asked as he dug into the bowl of magical porridge.

Moody shook his head and looked at the Gryffindor, "No, I don't think that would be such a good idea."

"But, I need to talk with Severus," Harry honestly confessed before reverting to his strong voice once more. "It would be helpful if I could communicate with my father sir."

"Yeah well your father said he doesn't want to see you till you catch up on all your homework and get better at your blocks," Moody said matter of factly. Harry didn't see the look of incredulity on Tonk's face.

The stoic teen sat frozen on the spot. He had been working on his spells but his blocks did need more work and he hadn't yet caught up on his homework. He had to force himself to swallow the lump of food in his mouth.

"Sir, could I at least send him a message?" this time his voice was more pleading than anything else. Tonks looked at him with pity and Harry had to look away.

Moody glanced at the boy before answering, "Tomorrow we begin combat training." He reached into his satchel and threw a book down next to Harry, "Read up to chapter three."

Harry picked up the book and looked at the title 'Official Auror Guide Book For Blocks' under the title was an official magical seal with waving wands.

"Thank you sir," Harry said with awe as he tucked the book in his cape.

"Catch up on all your homework and do well in combat training, then we'll talk about getting a note to your dad."

Harry finished his meal and went into his tent to begin his homework. He worked well into the night with a motivation he never had before.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The next day Moody took Potter out to the edge of the forest to begin his combat training. Harry knew there would be traps set so he was cautious not to set any off. Moody gave him a run down of what was expected of him before sending him out on his own. There were strict rules to stay out of the forest on the other side of the mountain. It was filled with all sorts of evil creatures and deadly spiders. Harry gulped over hearing that and made a mental note not to go exploring anytime soon.

Harry's goal was to bring back a silver wand, hidden somewhere in the vicinity. He set off and was immediately attacked by an angry tree with sharp roots. One of the roots wrapped around his legs and began pulling him under the ground. Harry instantly shot out a round of reducto curses, forcing the root to release him. He ran away from that tree only to find that he fell right into Moody's next trap.

The next thing Harry knew he was trapped in a deep hole filled with snakes. The only way out was to transfigure the walls into stairs. It was way beyond the capabilities of a sixth year student but Harry knew it had to be done. With his new found knowledge and training he concentrated with every bit of energy he had. He could feel the energy leave him as the walls of the pit began to transform. He quickly scrambled up and out of the pit while holding up a block in case Moody shot at him.

After fighting his way through rough terrain and magical fog he finally spotted the silver wand. He could see the shining wand on the other side of the ravine and made his way over while holding up a block.

Moody watched with delight as the raven haired teen stepped out of the forest. He hadn't thought the kid would get away so quickly. He decided to turn up the heat and began attacking the boy when he was in the middle of open terrain. He shot the most powerful hexes he could think of without causing serious injury. But the boy was not faltering yet. He quickly called on Shacklebolt and Tupin and signaled them to attack from the other side.

Harry could see the other two Aurors sneaking up behind him. He was ready with a Warrior Blast and one of the new blocks he had read about last night. Tupin fell first but Shacklebolt was tough. Harry saw Shacklebolt, Tupin and Moody with wands trained on him and began to feel nervous. He had to use every bit of knowledge he had gathered from the Auror training manual to get out of this tight spot. He stumbled back and was almost hit with a full body bind but bounced it back towards Shacklebolt. Shacklebolt actually looked flummoxed over getting hit.

Harry's blocks had improved ten fold, much to Moody's delight. Moody shot out a rapid succession of hexes then changed them up with binding curses.

All three Aurors shot out various hexes and curses with Harry blocking most of them. Moody was beginning to think Potter was more advanced than most Aurors with those blocks. The Aurors were amazed at the range of motion and strength the boy had.

After an exhaustive fight Harry had finally managed to get across the ravine and was just about to grasp the silver wand when he remembered the hex that had been placed on Severus' father's wand. He checked to make sure this wand didn't have anything evil and was not surprised when he found that it was cursed. He levitated the wand out in front of him as Moody, Shacklebolt and Tupin made their way over. He had done it, he had completed the task!

"That's right boy, constant vigilance!" Moody shouted with delight. "How did you know to check the wand for curses?"

Harry shrugged not wanting to reveal anything to Moody.

Shacklebolt gave Harry a rare smile.

Harry was sweating and bone tired but happy he had succeeded. He hadn't known he had possessed that sort of power. He had actually felt the magic crackle around him as he called it forth. Something was definitely starting to happen to him, it was palpable. He wished Severus was here to talk to about it.

Harry looked at Moody expectantly, "Sir, do you think I can send that message now?"

"I suppose, as long as you get it to me within the next hour," Moody replied he got rid of the cursed wand. "You understand that I need to read it before I take it out of the secret location."

Harry didn't think that was necessary but he didn't want to complain, "Yes sir."

The bone tired teen went back into his tent to compose the letter. He pulled out fresh parchment and a quill. It took him several moments to figure out how to begin. As the end of the hour drew near he folded up the completed letter and brought it out for Moody to approve.

The ex-Auror read through the letter and satisfied that it didn't give anything away he stuck it in his pocket, still undecided whether he would actually pass it on to Severus or not.

XXXXXXXXX

The Order meeting was to take place in Severus' dungeon quarters. The Order members arrived through the floo. Everyone was anxious to hear how Harry was progressing and the latest details of what Voldemort was up to. Severus was most anxious to hear news of his son.

The meeting began with a weak and tired Dumbledore discussing Voldemort's latest antics.

"Voldemort has acquired several new members to his side. He is still desperate to get his hands on Mr. Potter and it seems that he has been trying to recruit members from the house of Slytherin," Dumbledore said in a tired voice.

Everyone turned to look at Severus expectantly.

"I have been questioning the students in my house and have not found any who have taken the dark mark as of yet," The Potion Master informed.

After a few more questions the subject of Harry's training was addressed. Moody stood up and boasted like a proud father, "Potter is an amazing specimen. Just when I feel he cannot improve he surprises me with better results. He has been following the training program without complaint and is much stronger both physically and mentally than when he began. It seems that the uncontrolled magic cannot be called at will but I feel Potter has much more control of his emotions now."

Severus was pleased his son was doing so well. It seemed the boy did need a stricter environment after all. He would never admit that he felt somewhat jealous that Moody had brought out the best from his son.

Moody continued his report; "Potter has been growing muscle mass at a shocking rate. The magical porridge may have cost you a year's salary but it is working magnificently, Severus! If he continues at this rate he'll be needing a new set of school robes before long," Moody claimed with amusement as he looked towards the Potion Master. The magical porridge was very rare and hard to come by. It enhanced muscle mass and height in a very efficient way.

Ms. Fairchild spoke up next, "Exactly how long will he need to be in the secret location? Could he not train here at school at some point?"

Moody grumbled under his breath before saying, "The boy would have too many distractions here at school. That much was quite apparent before we took him. I think at least three months of training would do him well."

Severus was dismayed over hearing that. He had understood that Harry would only be gone for a matter of weeks, maybe a month at the very most. "I have not agreed to that length of time, Moody," Severus stated flatly.

"Severus the boy is flourishing under my training. Do you really want him back here before he can defend himself?" Moody asked in an accusing tone.

Severus sat up straighter, looking Moody in the eye, "He is my son and I will decide when he comes home."

Moody glared back at the Potion Master, "Yes, but he is thriving where he is at. Can you say the same when he was with you?" It was a low blow but Moody was desperate to keep Potter in the secret location. It was the only way he would have total control over his student.

Severus kept his face impassive but he was seething inside over the cutting remark. "Harry's needs are quite complicated. Defence is not the only facet that needs attention," Severus stated acerbically.

"Obviously he was troubled while he was at the school but he seems fine now," Moody growled out.

Dumbledore cut in before the men began a duel, "Severus has the final say over everything concerning Mr. Potter. I should think the two of you could work together … for the boy's sake."

Moody shrugged off the reprimand.

The meeting ended after another hour of discussions.

Before Moody left Severus stopped him and handed over a thick envelope. "This is a message for my son. Would you see that he gets it?"

Moody had made up his mind not to hand over Harry's note to Severus. He was mad at Snape over being questioned about the training program and length of time it would require. He took the envelope from Severus, with Harry's note still in his pocket.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once he was back in the secret location Moody opened the package from Severus and read the letter in the privacy of his tent.

_**Dear Son,**_

_**I know you must be angry with me for sending you away but please understand I felt there was no other option. My first priority is you and always will be. I could not keep you with me knowing that I wouldn't be able to monitor you closely. I was far too weak to see that your needs were met. I take the responsibility for you consuming the pain potion upon my own shoulders. I should have been more diligent in addressing all the abuse you have suffered, forcing you to deal with your emotions instead of masking them. I have failed greatly as a father and plead your forgiveness. **_

_**I would like to join you in your training program but will only do so if it is what you desire. The reports coming daily are filled with your success. I am very proud of your accomplishments. On that note, I also do not want to interrupt the environment that you seem to be thriving in. I am sending a mirror; much like the one Sirius sent you. You need only to say my name and I will be available at any time to talk. Please use this mirror as soon as you feel you have reached a decision.**_

_**Dad**_

Moody snorted over the emotional plea. There was absolutely no way he was going to have Severus Snape monitoring the training program and living on base. He could only imagine how upset the Potion Master would be over the strict environment Potter needed. No, the letter would definitely not be given to the boy.

He stuffed the letter and mirror under a pile of blankets and added Harry's letter to his father's. The boy had magic that was yet to be tapped into and Moody wasn't going to let up until it was brought about. He had to remain diligent in order to prepare the boy. After all it was for the boy's sake that he was doing this.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was another two days before Potter approached Moody regarding a response from Severus.

"Sir, has my dad sent a letter back yet?" Harry asked impatient to hear a reply.

"No son, he didn't seem very keen on contacting you yet. I think he's waiting for you to try harder before he forgives you," Moody said feeling a twinge of guilt. He pushed the guilt away knowing that this small lie would serve the boy well in the end.

Harry's heart tightened on hearing that. He had to try harder. His focus was changing to just getting Severus to forgive him. He began to obsess on that one fact, driving himself harder than ever.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Another week passed with Harry trying more relentlessly than ever before to do everything right. He pushed himself to the point of exhaustion. Running faster, blocking quicker and putting as much power behind his spells as possible. He was pushing himself beyond measure, enough so that a few of the Aurors were becoming concerned.

Tonks was disturbed for his safety after he collapsed during a routine combat drill. When Harry came to, he quickly stood up and brushed himself off.

"Come on let's try that again," Harry said with determination ignoring the vicious bruise forming on the back of his head.

Tonks walked up to the tired teen and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Harry, you've been doing great. Why are you pushing yourself like this? It's okay to take a break when you're exhausted."

Harry pulled away from Tonks abruptly, "No! It's not okay to take a break! It's not okay to fail! Don't you see Tonks, if I don't get everything right then Severus will find out?"

Tonks furrowed her brow, "What does Severus have to do with this?"

Harry shook his head, "Let's just do this again, alright." He became desperate to get this down, "Please Tonks don't tell my dad I failed. Let's do it again and I'll prove to you that I can do it."

Tonks squeezed Harry's shoulder again, "Harry, calm down. We've had enough for today."

"No, please give me another chance. Please!" Harry begged in desperation.

Tonks was really worried now. She had been watching Harry drive himself mercilessly. She couldn't help herself when she pulled the teen into a tight embrace.

"It's okay Harry, everything is going to be fine," Tonks said soothingly as she held the stiff teen in her arms. She felt him relax a little, leaning into her. Tonks knew Harry wouldn't normally let his guard down like this but he was emotionally spent after weeks of hard training.

Harry didn't want to be held, coddled like a child but … it had been so long since anyone had offered him a friendly word of encouragement. He couldn't help himself as he opened up to the one person who had treated him with respect during the training.

"Tonks, he hasn't forgiven me yet. He doesn't want me back. I hate him," Harry said in a soft voice as he placed a hand around her waist and dropped his head on her shoulder.

"Harry how can you say that? Severus needs you as much as you need him," Tonks said in a reassuring voice. Actually Tonks had been quite disappointed that Snape had not written to Harry. In fact she was rather angry at the Potion Master for putting so much pressure on the teen.

"I can't blame him. He's been a really good father and I blew it. I blew my last chance of family," Harry said in a tight voice, wavering on losing it but knowing he wasn't permitted to cry.

"What's goin on here!" Moody roared as he walked up to them.

Harry immediately pushed away from Tonks and stood up straighter. "Sorry sir," he said quickly in a misleadingly strong voice.

Tonks looked at Moody with a fury she didn't know she had been harboring. "Nothings going on Moody. Harry's been pushing himself too hard and you know it!"

"Potter has a job to do and needs to push himself. Don't be fussing over him like a child Tonks or you'll be out of the training program so fast your head will spin!" Moody's voice was filled with intensity.

"Don't you dare threaten me Moody! I know how you're manipulating Harry! He's been trying his best and that's not good enough for you. If you keep pushing him he's going to run himself into the ground. I know exactly how you're trying to manipulate him," bellowed the young Auror. Tonks pushed past Moody and stormed away to gather her emotions.

Moody rounded on Harry, "What happened here Potter?"

Harry stood at attention, "I failed a block sir. I can do better sir."

"Your father will hear about this," Moody said and began to walk away.

"No! I mean … please sir, give me one more chance," Harry begged. "I know I can do better."

"Stop begging Potter and pick up your wand," Moody waited until Potter had hold of his wand before he surprised the boy with one hex after another. Potter responded with a block that shot the curse back at the old Auror, pushing him back with force. The duel lasted for a good twenty minutes before Moody called an end to it. He would never confess that Potter was actually becoming more powerful than himself.

Potter looked a little too sure of himself so Moody shot him a surprise, "Acerbitas!"

Before Harry knew what was happening he was hit with the powerful curse. He fell to the ground and had to be woken up by Moody.

"Ennervate!" the old Auror said. He watched as the boy barely moved. He said it once more, "Ennervate!"

Harry woke up with a roaring headache. He rolled onto his stomach and used his arms to push himself up. He stood trying to catch his breath and held his head as it throbbed. He knew better than to get angry at Moody. In Moody's mind he should have been ready for an attack at all times.

Moody grumbled out, "Constant vigilance boy! Now get to your studies." He walked past the exhausted teen and headed back to his tent.

Harry wasn't sure if Moody was sending his most recent failure in the report to Severus.

"Excuse me sir," Harry spoke up. "Are you writing to Severus now?"

Moody ignored the boy and went into his tent.

Tonks stood at her tent door, taking in the entire scene as it happened.

XXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't long before Harry once again asked Moody if he had heard anything from Severus. The ex-Auror answered in the same way, "Not yet, but you get that Acerbitas block and hex down and then I'm sure he'll know you're trying your best."

Moody knew it was cruel to keep the letter away from Potter but the boy was turning into a true soldier. By the time he was through training the boy he would gain back all the respect he had lost over the Polyjuice fiasco a few years back. It bugged Moody to no end that he had been captured and held prisoner for months. It had ruined his reputation and now he planned on getting it back by showing the ministry and Dumbledore that a sixteen year old boy could be trained into a mighty weapon by him.

Harry knew he wouldn't be doing the Acerbitas spell or block. They called for anger and hate. There was no way he was going to fuel those feelings and use them in a spell. He'd have to excel in everything else to make his father realize that he was doing his best. If anyone would understand his reasoning, it would be Severus.

Harry began to stay up later and later to catch up on his studies. By the end of the fourth week he had not only caught up on his school work but was slightly ahead of his schoolmates. He hoped Severus would realize his efforts and forgive him now. All thoughts of his friends and even Ginny paled in comparison with gaining his father's forgiveness. It was becoming more apparent that Severus had indeed abandoned him. Harry was beginning to hate Severus for all the lies he had promised of never leaving. The loneliness and betrayal sat like a heavy weight on his shoulders. But he vowed not to give up yet. Maybe if he just tried harder then Severus would see that he was worth keeping. That dreaded feeling of abandonment crept into his thoughts once again.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry and Tonks had been working on Transfiguration spells and this time the lesson was actually fun. Tonks was trying to teach him how to transfigure a pile of rocks into a bed. They were laughing at the bed Harry made because it looked more like a birds nest.

Moody walked up and shot a bolt of lightening at Harry's leg. The ex-Auror had a stern expression, "You think this is funny Potter? You think watching your friends get killed is funny? We're not here to laugh and make jokes; we're here to keep you alive when you come face to face with Voldemort!" He shot Harry on the arm one more time for good measure.

Harry flinched but held back from even touching the angry red bruise forming under his sleeve. Moody's punishments were getting more powerful, often leaving swollen red bruises that hurt to touch. Harry had become quite proficient at brewing healing balm.

Tonk's hair was a vivid shade of purple indicating a fury in the young Auror. She stood in front of Harry, blocking him from Moody. "How dare you treat him with such disrespect. Harry is not an animal that needs to be manipulated into learning. I've stood by watching you hit him with painful hexes, watching you manipulate his emotions and watching you train him like a soldier! But, I'm not going to be a part of this training anymore!"

Tonks strode away without a backward glance.

Moody turned towards Harry and grumbled out, "Get to your studies boy."

Harry slowly walked back to his tent. He watched as Moody walked over to talk with Tonks. He wished he could hear what they were saying.

"Tonks, you're not thinking of going back are you?" Moody asked in a calm voice.

"Moody, I'm tired of watching the way you treat Harry. I'm going back and if you don't take Harry back right now then I'm telling Severus how you've been training him," Tonks said in a very composed and serious voice.

"Tonks, you've seen how much the boy has improved since he came here. You know what he's up against. Do you really want to deny him the best training he's ever likely to get?" came Moody's compelling voice.

"I'm leaving in a half hour, in time for supper at Hogwarts. Either you come with me or I'm going straight to Severus." Tonks strode away with an objective that felt spot on.

Harry was back in his tent rummaging through his potions. He was clean out of healing balm and the ingredients it took to make more. He took off his shirt and held his arms out to inspect them. They were littered with heavy red bruising along with older more colorful bruises. The worst one being the Moody had just shot at him. It was raised and looked ready to rupture.

Harry was interrupted from his assessment when Moody came storming into his tent, "Pack your trunk Potter, we're outta here." The ex-Auror glanced at Harry's arms but didn't make any comments.

Harry nodded his head, "Yes sir."

Harry's heart was beating wildly. He couldn't believe he was finally getting away from this place. But then he remembered that his father had yet to forgive him and probably wouldn't be happy to see him. Severus might even think he was the cause for them going back early. He had tried so hard, giving everything he had to succeed but obviously Severus didn't see it that way. He hated him so much. What the hell else did his father want from him?

XXXXXXXXX

Moody sat down at his desk completely outraged over the ultimatum Tonks had forced him into. He was so close to forcing Potter into using his uncontrolled magic. Now he was going back to that school and had still not accomplished his goal. Damn it!

He contacted the Order by writing on the magical pad to ask for an escort back to Hogwarts. He wasn't through training Potter and didn't want Voldemort getting a hold of him before the boy was ready. He immediately received a note back letting him know that a group of Order members would be here within an hour to escort them back to the school.

XXXXXXXX

Severus was in his dungeon quarters when his floo turned green and Dumbledore slowly made his way out of the fireplace.

"Severus, good news my son. Harry is coming home tonight!" The headmaster said with delight.

Severus quickly stood up and walked towards Dumbledore, "Is he hurt?"

"No, no my boy, nothing like that. Moody wrote to say he would continue the training here at school."

Severus was rather taken aback over the sudden return of his son. He missed him terribly but was also hurt that Harry had never tried to contact him while he was away. He had sent several letters and had really wanted to help with the training. The Potion Master wanted to be there for his son but it was obvious the boy wanted nothing to do with him. Harry must still be upset about being sent away. If the reports coming back hadn't been filled with so much success he would have just went to see his son whether the boy wanted him to or not. But since the boy was clearly trying his best, Severus didn't want to interfere. Evidently Moody knew how to get Harry to succeed.

"What time are they coming?" Severus asked anxiously.

Dumbledore smiled over the Potion Masters palpable nervousness, "Harry will return during supper. I told Moody to bring him directly to me when they arrive."

After the Headmaster left, Severus walked into his son's bedroom. He looked at Harry's things spread throughout the room. He remembered the last time they were in here, the day he had sent Harry away. He sat down in the chair by the fire and dropped his head into his hands. Had he done the right thing by sending Harry away or had he pushed the boy away forever?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TBC

Please review and maybe you'll get a surprise chappy!


	46. Chapter 46 Home

-146 - Home

Harry waited by his tent as Order members began to apparate into the camp. Moody informed him that a group of Order members were going to escort them back to Hogwarts. He thought the high security was rather odd but didn't question anyone about it. The last Order member to apparate into the camp was Remus.

Remus immediately looked around for Harry. He saw the raven haired teen standing by his tent wearing a black sweater and jeans that fit rather snuggly. The look actually suited the teen. Remus couldn't believe the incredible change in the young man. He was at least a few inches taller and he looked to be several pounds heavier with a very athletic build. The girls were really going to flip for the kid now, Remus thought, James would have been proud of the new look.

Remus approached Harry with his arms open for an embrace but as soon as he got close enough Harry stepped back and thrust his hand forward for a handshake. Remus took hold of Harry's hand and pulled the boy closer for a hug, "I think we've been through too much together for a handshake." He felt the young man tense up and then pull back from the hug. Remus gave him a questioning look but Harry looked away.

Harry saw Remus come towards him with his arms open and he had to push his anger down. It bothered him to no end that Remus had been one of the people to push for this training to happen. When Remus pulled him into a hug he had to stop himself from physically pushing the man away.

He knew Remus had wanted to talk but with the way he was feeling he felt it best they didn't. It wasn't the actual training that he protested against, it was the way he had been forced, not to mention the constant stinging hexes thrown his way. There must be a better way to train then to be shot at for not learning fast enough. The spells, blocks and hexes he had learned plus all the combat training had been great to become skilled at but the way they had been taught left something to be desired. All in all if this training had been done with his consent and with even a modicum of respect for his well being, he wouldn't have had a problem with it. The other issue he had difficulty accepting was the fact that he had been so cruelly cut off from everyone else, especially his father. He had needed his support during the training.

Moody strutted out of his tent and began barking out orders. Harry took hold of his trunk and walked towards the ex-Auror, leaving Remus standing at the tent with a distressed look on his face.

"Potter you're to stay by my side the whole way up to the school. I don't want to see you running off as soon as you see your friends either," Moody snarled out irritably.

"Yes sir," Harry immediately responded. He couldn't wait to get the hell away from the man but knew he had to obey.

Remus stood on one side and grasped Harry's arm, while Moody grasped the other before setting off the portkey. Harry barely had time to balance himself before landing outside the gates of Hogwarts. The Order members had their wands drawn and flanked him on all sides.

Harry again wondered why the security was so high. He began to speculate that something must have happened while he was away. He looked up at the towering school and smiled. He was home. The school was shrouded in fog but the tips of the building could be seen from below. His stomach was in knots over seeing his father again but he couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be than here.

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Severus sat down for supper, anxiously awaiting the arrival of his son. He didn't care if Harry was still angry at him; he just wanted to ascertain for himself that his son was secure. The meal began but he couldn't fathom eating until he saw that Harry was safely home. While Harry was away it had crossed his mind several times to go check up on the boy. He even went so far as walking down to the gates on his way to apparating into the camp. But at the last minute he talked himself out of going due to the fact that his son obviously didn't want him there. If Harry hadn't been doing so well he would have gone regardless, but … it became evident that Harry was thriving without him.

The doors to the Great Hall opened and a stream of Order members appeared. They walked up the center aisle towards the head table and Dumbledore. The Headmaster rose from his seat and walked around the front to greet them. Severus followed as his eyes scanned the group for his son.

Harry immediately saw his father upon entering the Great Hall. He was aware of the stares and whispers that arose from the students. He couldn't get over his anger towards Severus but knew this was not the place to vent his emotions. He was actually glad that Moody had trained him to hide his emotions and remain stoic.

Severus caught sight of Harry surrounded by the Order members. He pushed through them to get to his son. Harry stopped walking as Severus approached. They looked each other in the eye for a moment before Severus stepped forward and embraced his son. Harry stood stiffly waiting for the hug to end. He couldn't believe that Severus was acting like nothing had happened. The man hadn't even seen fit to send him a measly note saying that he was forgiven. Harry bristled at the false hug his father was giving him.

"I have missed you son," Severus said quietly into his ear. Harry tensed up and stepped back. He looked his father in the eyes with incredulity. How could Severus say that after ignoring him for six weeks?

Severus was amazed at the change in his son. He had filled out and his face looked more mature. He had forgotten about everything when he went to embrace his son, and was saddened when Harry had pulled away from him. It felt like a dagger to the heart when Harry looked at him with those accusing green eyes.

Moody grabbed hold of Harry's arm and pulled him forward towards the Headmaster. Dumbledore hugged Harry and this time Harry hugged back. He had missed Dumbledore more than he had thought. The man had always been kind to him, always ready with a thoughtful word of encouragement. The Headmaster looked older, his eyes looked tired but happy to see him.

The Headmaster clapped his hands and invited all the Order members to supper. A long table was made ready with the swish of a wand and the Order members went to sit. Harry looked down Gryffindor table and spotted Hermione and Ron waving frantically for him to come join them.

Harry turned back towards Moody and shook his hand, "Thank you sir for the training program."

Moody beamed like a proud father, "It was my pleasure! Good job Potter."

Severus watched his son conduct himself like an adult. He was stung when Harry stepped past him, ignoring him completely and went to join his friends at Gryffindor table.

As Harry approached Gryffindor table he was flooded with greetings from his fellow classmates. He sat down next to Hermione and Neville, and looked around for Ginny.

"She's not here mate," Ron stated from across the table. "My mum insisted that she go home after we had another scare last week. A couple Death Eaters tried crossing the Black Lake. Luckily that monster that lives in the Black Lake got em first. All that was found was their masks and shoes."

It took Harry a moment to comprehend what had happened. He looked at Hermione for confirmation but was taken aback as she starred back at him with her mouth open. "What?" Harry asked and was puzzled by her odd gawking stare.

Hermione was dumbfounded over Harry's new look. He had grown and filled out so nicely and was so tan. She looked at him in a whole new light, "Harry you're, you're, … gorgeous!" Hermione quickly blushed and giggled in embarrassment.

Ron grumbled from across the table and Harry actually felt his face heat up over the compliment. He knew he had grown because his clothes were too short and tight but he hadn't thought he looked any different than before. For the first time he noticed girls starring at him and giggling. He quickly looked down at his empty plate and began to heap food onto it. After eating nothing but oatmeal for five weeks his stomach couldn't get enough real food!

Harry filled his friends in on the training program leaving out the parts about Moody shooting hexes at him and the part that he hadn't received one friggin letter from his father. He already knew Moody wouldn't let his friends write to him but surely Severus wasn't denied the communication.

They were astounded that he had been trained to perform so many advanced hexes and blocks. Ron was beginning to act a little jealous but Harry reassured him that he would teach him as much as he could.

Hermione kept watching him out of the corner of her eye until Harry couldn't take it anymore. "What!" Harry asked with irritation.

"It's nothing … it's just that you've changed," Hermione finally managed to say.

"How? What do you mean I've changed?" Harry asked, as he ran a hand down the front of his sweater.

"I-I don't know. You just seem … older, more serious perhaps," Hermione stated as she raised a hand to rest on Harry's arm.

Harry instinctively moved his arm away, then shook his head over doing so. It was going to take time to learn how to be touched again. After repeatedly getting shot with hexes for so much as touching another person he knew it was gong to take some time.

"See …" Hermione charged, "It's like you're so formal now."

Ron spoke up with a mouth full of pie, "What do you expect Hermione, he's been training like a soldier. Of course he's not goin to be the same old Harry Potter."

Harry was taken aback over that statement. Had he really changed that much? He tried to make himself relax but it was definitely forced.

When the meal was almost over Harry felt a hand grip his shoulder. He looked up into his father's dark eyes.

"Son, come down to the dungeons when you are finished," Severus requested.

Harry immediately answered, "Yes sir." His training with Moody was still so fresh that he wouldn't have dared to argue.

When he turned back around he saw the looks his friends were giving one another. He looked at Ron questioningly.

Ron quickly spat out, "Harry, your dad's been a right foul git since you left. He's been taking points from Gryffindor every chance he gets and handing out detention for nothing at all."

Harry looked at the large hour glass representing Gryffindor house points and saw that they were in last place.

"Why? Did something happen?" Harry asked. Hermione gave Ron a pointed look as did Seamus and Dean.

Ron's face turned a bright red and he nodded his head before blurting out, "Right after you left I went to talk to him and he did something with his wand and looked into my head and found out about the party and about the time I took the pain potion with you."

Harry shook his head, "That's not right. Sorry guys but I think he's still mad at me too. So I don't know if there's anything I can say to get him to back off."

Everyone grumbled at hearing that. They were all kinda hoping that with Harry's return things would improve.

"Well, at least we don't have to take Defence class with him anymore," Ron announced.

Harry's stomach flipped over the idea of taking Defence with Moody everyday. He not only feared the deranged old carter but he also hated the idea of getting hexes shot at him for everyone to witness.

Supper ended before Harry knew it and he begrudgingly walked down to the dungeons. On his way down he bumped into Malfoy and Crabbe.

Crabbe immediately began taunting Harry, "Back so soon Potty? I'll have to let my dad know when the next Hogsmeade trip is."

Malfoy took a deep breath and shook his head over the foolish statement. Crabbe's father would kill him if he knew he was walking around boasting about Hogsmeade day. "Hey Crabbe, why don't you get started on your homework," Malfoy commanded and watched as the big idiot strutted away.

Harry continued walking down to his father's quarters as Malfoy followed him.

"So, how was training with Moody?" Malfoy asked as he matched Harry's stride.

"It sucked, but I did learn a lot. Just make sure you tell your dad that I…" Harry stopped midsentence realizing how Moody would pummel him for sending messages to Lucius. "Forget it." Harry stated flatly.

"I can't tell my dad anything. I haven't heard from him since that day in Hogsmeade but I don't want to see him anyways," Malfoy replied bitterly. "I mean after what he did to Severus and all."

Harry looked at the Slytherin, trying to assess the truthfulness in his words. Malfoy did seem genuine but he would need to cast Legilimens on him before believing the Slytherin. "Yeah, well I haven't heard from Severus or seen him since I left either," Harry declared with resentment.

Malfoy looked at him with surprise and Harry answered, "I guess I haven't turned out to be the son he expected."

"Yeah right!" Malfoy snorted skeptically. "The sainted Potter prince."

Harry shook his head, "Shut it Malfoy. It's true, he's probably sorry he got stuck with me." Harry didn't say goodbye as he left Malfoy with his mouth hanging open standing in the hallway outside the dungeon quarters.

Harry walked into the dungeon and spotted his father sitting at his desk. Severus remained seated as Harry walked towards him. Harry stood before his father's desk awaiting his instructions.

Severus looked up at his son standing so formally before him, "Please have a seat."

Harry sat stiffly on the edge of the chair. The dungeon had a warm fire roaring and was filled with the familiar smell of mint and pinewood. Harry tried to relax but he couldn't get past his anger over Severus ignoring him for so long with only Mad Eye as his superior.

Severus looked at his son for a moment, "It is good to have you home. I will order a new set of garments for you seeing as you grew so much."

Harry didn't say anything. He would have rather done without the magical porridge if it had been up to him. But of course nothing was up to him.

"Harry, you are angry," Severus stated bluntly. "I did not want to send you. You do understand my position?" Severus knew the letter had explained everything clearly but was troubled over Harry's lingering resentment.

"Yes sir," Harry stated without emotion.

"Do you wish to tell me of your experiences while you were away?"

"No sir," Harry declared coolly. Severus waited to see if his son would expand on the answer but when nothing else was forth coming he folded his hands before him in frustration.

"Was Moody a fair instructor?"

How could Harry answer that question without opening up and losing control of his emotions. Moody had taught him well and he would not be losing his temper again. Harry simply nodded his head and bit his lip.

Severus sighed in frustration. He couldn't force the teen into talking to him.

"Very well, I see this conversation is clearly one sided. Would you like to stay in your bedroom this evening?"

Harry's eyes darted to the table and took in the cups of steaming hot chocolate and biscuits. He did want to stay but his resentment over being ignored overruled his thoughts, "No sir."

"Yes, I thought you might answer that way," Severus stated dryly. "Whatever resentment you have over being sent away is well deserved. Although, I am sorry you still feel that way. You may go."

Harry stood up and strode out the door without another word. He was bristling over his father's assumption that he already understood the reason Severus sent him away for so long without contacting him. Without forgiving him.

Harry ran up the many flights of stairs to his room, hoping to get some of his frustration out by exercising. When he stepped into Gryffindor Tower he was flooded with questions about his long absence. Half hour into the interrogation by his fellow students he wished he had chosen to stay down in the dungeons. Everyone wanted him to show them the new spells he had learned. He eventually said he was really tired and excused himself for bed.

His room mates kept giving him cautious stares as if he would use his new found spells on them. It bothered him when Neville accidentally bumped one of his picture frames to the floor and then squealed in fright. What did Longbottom think he was going to do to him anyways? Harry was grateful when he was finally able to close his curtains and fall asleep.

That night he was awoken with a terrifying nightmare that he couldn't remember. He had been quite aware of the fact that his connection with Voldemort had ceased to exist while he was at the secret location. Now that he was back at Hogwarts he could feel the tendrils of evil trying to infiltrate his thoughts once again. He threw up his Occlumency walls once more, feeling slightly better.

He couldn't sleep and made his way into the bathroom to inspect his wounds. He pulled his shirt off and looked at the blazing bruises that wouldn't stop throbbing. He had to get a hold of the ingredients to brew some more healing balm. Maybe he could 'borrow' some from Severus' stores. It wasn't like he would be doing anything wrong by making that potion.

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The next morning during breakfast Moody walked up to Gryffindor table and barked out, "Potter."

Harry immediately rose and faced the man, "Yes sir." His friends looked at each other with alarm.

"I would like you to prepare yourself for a combat mission during your free period. I will contact you when we are ready. We will be giving a demonstration for Professor Dumbledore and Minister Fudge, along with a few others," Moody watched as the teen seemed to bridle at the idea of 'performing' for others.

"Yes sir," Harry bit out, hating the task ahead of him.

Moody walked towards the head table feeling quite excited to show off his apprentices new found abilities. Severus watched the exchange with disdain. He hated to see Harry used like a side show attraction. When Moody had proposed the idea last night he had only agreed to it if Harry approved as well.

It was obvious by Harry's response that the young man would not go against anything Moody proposed. Severus would need to keep a close eye on Moody.

Harry watched as his father approached the Gryffindor table, "Harry, at any time you wish to stop this demonstration you need only ask. I too will be in the stands watching."

"Stands? Where is the demonstration going to be held sir?"

"Moody has chosen the stadium used for the first task in the TriWizard Tournament. He feels it will be safer," Severus answered with condescension, clearly bothered by Moody's choice of location.

Harry swallowed hard. Moody must have something big planned to need that location. Suddenly Harry wished he hadn't eaten as his stomach did a somersault. He looked up at his father's concerned face and felt annoyed over the man's sudden distress. He made sure to sound strong as he replied, "Thank you sir." He didn't need Severus' false emotions. Where had the man been for the past six weeks as he was getting hexes shot at him all day?

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When breakfast was over Hermione and Harry walked down for Potions. They sat in the back so Harry could catch a break from all the gawking stares. He knew he had grown but why was everyone making such a big deal out of it? He had to borrow one of Ron's uniforms because his were too small and short. The uniform was soft from repeated washings and had a frayed collar but it fit him perfectly, much to Harry's satisfaction.

Severus walked into the classroom and immediately spotted his son sitting in the back. He began lecturing on the advance potion they would be brewing today, all the time watching his son out of the corner of his eye.

When the lecture was over Harry gathered his ingredients and began brewing the potion. Hermione could see the difference in the way her friend now worked. He was efficient and very exacting in everything he did. His hands worked like they were automated to cut with precision.

Severus made his way around the room, throwing out reprimands along the way. He stopped in front of Harry's cauldron and watched with disbelief. How in the world had Harry improved so quickly? If he hadn't been watching his son in action he wouldn't believe this could actually be Harry's potion.

Harry didn't look up at his father but ignored him completely. He shut down his emotions and concentrated on the task at hand as he had been taught. Tupin had been a harsh potions instructor, making him do everything over if it was not chopped perfectly. He added the last ingredient and began to stir.

"You have improved. You have been practicing I see," Severus stated. He waited for Harry to acknowledge his presence. His son pointedly ignored him.

"Mr. Potter, I am speaking to you," Severus said sternly.

Harry pressed his lips together before answering, "What exactly would you have me say to that sir?"

"'Thanks dad', would suffice," Severus bit out sarcastically as he watched his son look up at him with contempt.

"I'm not allowed to call you 'dad' in class. Those were your rules sir," Harry stated coolly.

"Very well then, I revoke that rule."

"Thanks dad," Harry stated without sentiment as he looked Severus in the eye.

Severus turned on his heel and strode away with robes billowing behind. He hated the way they were interacting with each other. Harry was so proper, void of all emotions. He couldn't let this go on any longer. He wanted his son back.

When class ended he spat out harshly, "Potter stay." Hermione gave her friend an encouraging smile but stopped herself before placing a hand on his arm.

Harry took a deep breath, trying to calm himself for the lecture he would certainly be getting. He packed his book bag and waited patiently in front of his father's desk for the last student to leave.

When the door closed Severus waved his wand adding a silencing spell, then walked around the front of his desk. He looked at the angry teen and tried to come up with something that would repair the damage done to their relationship.

"Harry, we must put our past behind us," Severus said in a much kinder voice. When Harry didn't answer he began to feel irritation over the boy's stubbornness. "I know you have a free period right now. I wish you to stay down here and talk with me."

Harry stood stiffly, "Professor Moody asked that I prepare for a _demonstration_ sir."

"Moody's demonstration is not my concern," Severus said with a bit of resentment.

"But, it was a direct order," Harry declared with a touch of panic that Severus picked up on.

Severus shook his head, "My _orders _override Moody's requests. I am your _father_, or have you forgotten?"

Harry breathed deep as the anger crept in, "It's not me who has forgotten."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing sir," Harry said as he swallowed his anger once again.

The pain from the bruises Moody had inflicted throbbed as he readjusted his book bag. Harry changed the subject and asked, "Sir, do you mind if I brew something while I am detained?"

'_Detained_?' thought Severus with resentment. However he merely replied, "No, please be my guest." The sudden change in topic was not lost on him. He would address that issue before Harry left.

He watched his son walk into the storage room and return with a handful of ingredients. He sat back down at his desk and began to grade papers, all the while glancing at Harry. It looked as if the boy was brewing a healing balm. He looked over Harry carefully, wondering why he would need that balm. Harry looked healthier then he'd ever seen him.

"May I ask why you are in need of the healing balm?"

Harry was concentrating so deeply on his brewing that he was startled when Severus spoke.

"Training sir." Harry replied as if it should have been obvious.

Severus furrowed his brow, "Yes, I suppose Moody is rather severe."

Harry gave him an odd look that Severus couldn't decipher. "Yes sir he is."

When Harry finished he began to pour the balm into a jar. Severus walked over and inspected the balm. It was perfect, on the same level he himself would brew. "Perfect," he stated as a thought suddenly occurred to him. "You've brewed this many times before?"

"Yes sir," came Harry's even voice.

"I would like to know more about your training. Did Moody ever … harm you in any way?" Severus was taken aback over Harry's angry glare.

Harry didn't know how he was supposed to answer that question. Surely Severus had been aware of Moody's training techniques. How could he ask him that question?

He decided to answer truthfully, "Yes sir."

"In what way did he hurt you?" Severus asked forcefully.

Harry snickered and shook his head, "You really don't know … or are you just trying to find out how much I failed?"

Severus had no idea what the boy was referring to. "Harry, did Moody hurt you when you didn't meet his expectations?" Severus asked as his heart began to beat harder with anger.

Had Severus really no idea about the harsh training regimen? Harry shrugged, too embarrassed to reveal how many times Moody dealt out punishments.

Severus grabbed hold of Harry's arm and rolled up his sleeve while he held it gently. It was littered in bruises of all colors. A deep bruise on his forearm looked ready to burst with the blood trapped underneath. "He did this!"

Harry looked at him. "Yes sir. You must have known how he was training me!" Harry said with bitterness.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you contact me Harry!" Severus was angry at Harry for hiding this, angry at himself for not learning more about the training and most definitely angry at Moody for having the audacity to even consider harming his son.

"I did contact you! I just wasn't doing good enough to be forgiven but I tried my best! It just wasn't good enough for you," Harry yelled in frustration. Why couldn't Severus understand that he had tried, he'd given it everything he had.

"What do you mean you contacted me? Did you receive the mirror?" Severus asked as realization was beginning to dawn on him with dismay. Had Moody held his letters from his son? He dug through his pocket for the mirror but remembered he had put it in his office when Harry returned.

"Stay here," Severus commanded as he went into the office.

Harry was so confused. He had no idea what Severus was talking about regarding a mirror. At that moment a school house elf popped into the classroom with a worried look on his face.

"Mr. Potters, you must comes with me! Professors Moody be angry. He gives me this portkey and says he's waiting!"

Before Harry had a chance to inform Severus he was leaving, he felt the sickening tug and was portkeyed out of the room.

Severus returned with the matching mirror to the one he had sent his son. He looked around and as soon as he saw his son had fled he began to search for the boy.

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TBC


	47. Chapter 47 Demonstration

Demonstration-

Harry felt himself being portkeyed out of the Potions classroom and away from his father. He opened his eyes to see that he was standing in a tent. Thankfully, it wasn't the tent back at the secret location. No, this was the tent he had waited in before the first task in the Triwizard Tournament two years previously. Harry looked around remembering the excitement and anxiety of that day so long ago. It brought back fresh memories of Cedric and fighting the dragon to get the golden egg.

"Where the hell have you been!" Moody growled out and Harry suddenly realized he wasn't alone in the tent.

Harry looked the old Auror in the eye, feeling anger creep up and take hold, "I've been with my father, sir. He gave a direct order to remain with him during my free period. He's waiting for me down in the dungeon."

Moody shook his head, "Good let him wait. At least he won't be here." Then he began to lecture Harry on blocks and staying alert at all times. Before long they were joined by Tonks, Tupin and Shacklebolt. Moody headed out of the tent to check the stadium.

Harry stood next to Tonks, "I didn't know all you guys were coming today. What the hell does Moody have planned for me anyways?"

Tonks gave him a small smile, "It seems Minister Fudge wants to know that his Aurors were actually working while we were away. He 'lent' us to Dumbledore to train you and now he feels he has the right to see what we accomplished. Don't worry Harry you've surpassed all expectations. Just go out there and give it your best."

Moody came back into the tent and instructed Harry to head into the stadium. He gave him one objective; take out all the Aurors.

Harry nodded then walked out the tent door. He looked around at the craggy rocks, wondering if Moody had set traps for him. He looked up into the stands and froze. Not only were Dumbledore, Fudge and Professor McGonagall looking down at him but the entire left side of the stands was filled. It appeared as if half the student body of Hogwarts was watching as well as all the Order members. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down.

The next thing he knew he was being attacked on all sides. Harry immediately went into combat mode dropping to the ground and weaving through the rocks. He held up blocks where he could and shot out hexes when he had a clear shot. At one point three Aurors had their wands trained on him at the same time. He used a ricochet block and all three spells bounced back and hit their targets. The stands went crazy and Harry had tune the noise out and concentrate on locating Moody.

Moody cheered along with everyone else when he saw Potter take out three Aurors at once. He shot out a rapid succession of binding curses and watched as the boy deflected them with ease. He used a binding curse that he hadn't taught Potter how to block, successfully tying the boy to a rock.

Harry broke free in seconds and decided to go after Moody. He climbed over rocks while holding up blocks. He didn't notice that he was actually walking straight into a trap. He was suddenly levitated and dropped into a deep pit with heavy stone jutting straight up. The four Aurors stood at ground level shooting hexes down at him. Harry had to do something he had never done before; he had to hold a block up while transforming the rocks into stairs. It took every ounce of concentration he had.

He pictured the stairs while holding the block up. His block began to slip and a hex broke through. He was covered in spiders! He dropped his block to get the spell with the spiders to end.

Moody was waiting for just that moment to pounce on the teen. He had it in his mind to push Harry into calling forth his uncontrolled magic. That was the main reason for using this safe location. He hoped to prove to Fudge and everyone else that he had tapped into Harry's incredible powers.

Harry was finally free of the spiders and was just about to put his block up when he was hit with the Warrior Blast. He couldn't believe that Moody would do that to him. Moody knew he couldn't take the pain potion to relieve the throbbing. Harry was livid over Moody's disregard for his welfare.

It took every bit of concentration he had to transform the hard granite into stairs. He heard the crowd break into cheers as he ran up the stairs for cover. Harry ran behind a giant rock and tried to get his bearings. The objective was to take out all four Aurors. He came up with a game plan and immediately went after Tupin first.

Harry knew Tupin was trying to sneak up behind him so he waited until she was close enough before swinging around to face her. The battle lasted mere seconds before the Auror was wrapped up in her own mummy hex. Harry tucked and rolled as another hex was shot at him from Shacklebolt. He knew Shacklebolt was his hardest opponent so he tried to remember everything the Auror had taught him about combat. Harry came to the conclusion that the only way to take the man out was to use the man's own spells against him. It took a hard fought battle before Shacklebolt's block slipped and then Harry attacked. Just as Shacklebolt was hit with a simple 'stupefy' Harry was hit from behind by Tonks.

He struggled to break free from her body binding spell but she held it with intensity. Moody came up beside her and began shooting Harry with a spell that stung worse than any he had felt before. Harry tried not to react to the pain he was in but soon felt as if he were on the edge of consciousness. He heard Tonks shouting at Moody to stop as the body bind began to loosen up. Then he thought he heard his father's voice. Before he knew what was happening he felt the familiar strong magic begin to build up inside. The ground shook and people in the stands began to scream. Suddenly the magic was released and a blinding white light flew out from him. Moody and Tonks went down in a flash but luckily the people in the stands were safe from any repercussions.

The body binding spell ended suddenly when Tonks went down. Harry sat up and looked around. He saw Moody and Tonks lying on the ground. He stood on shaky legs and walked towards Tonks. He couldn't tell if she was dead or just unconscious. His heart was hammering in his chest as he approached her. The stands were silent as everyone waited to see if the Aurors were still alive. Oh Merlin, had he killed her with his uncontrolled magic?

Harry could see a black figure making its way down to him. He dropped down to his knees and barely got out the word, "Ennervate." Tonks remained unmoving. His hands were shaking so badly he had to grasp his wand with both hands before trying again. How could he have done this? He just couldn't be responsible for another death. Oh Merlin, what had happened? He looked to his left and saw Moody begin to stir. He felt a hand grip his shoulder.

"Calm down son. Let me do it," Severus said in as calm a voice as he could muster. He was quite shaken up himself after witnessing the uncontrolled magic. He had been trying to stop the demonstration. He was actually on his way down to stop Moody from shooting hexes at his son when Harry's uncontrolled magic came about.

Severus pointed his wand at the blue haired Auror while shouting out, "Ennervate!"

Tonks moaned out and brought a hand to her head. Harry let out the deep breath he had been holding. He tried to stand but began to lose consciousness. The last thing he remembered was the crowds cheering and his father's arms catching him before he fell.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The light coming in through the windows was so bright. Harry cracked an eye open and immediately knew he was in the infirmary. He sat up looking around for Tonks. Was she alright or had he hurt her? He grabbed his glasses off the nightstand and pushed them on his face. He could see a form lying in the bed across from him with blue hair.

He slowly swung his legs over the side of the bed as his head spun and made his way over to the Auror. On the way over he saw Moody sleeping in the bed in the corner. The ex-Auror had his fake leg propped up by a chair and was snoring loud enough to shake the windows.

Harry stood next to Tonks and watched her sleeping with a peaceful look on her face. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared back at him.

"Good morning," Tonks said in a sleepy voice as she stared back at the anxious teen.

"Hi," Harry said as he watched her with concern.

"I'm okay Harry. You can relax now," she stated with a smile. "Take a seat. We need to talk."

Harry pulled over a chair and nervously sat down. "Tonks, I'm sorry. I-I don't know what happened."

Tonks rose up her hand to stop Harry from apologizing, "Harry, it's not your fault, you know? I think Moody was trying to make that happen."

At Harry's confused look she continued, "I think Moody was trying to get your uncontrolled magic to come forth. He's been trying to tap into that for a while. I tried to get him to stop shooting you with those stinging hexes but he was trying to push you into protecting yourself."

"But … how did he know it would even happen?"

"I don't think he did know," Tonks said sadly. "I'm sorry I held that binding curse on you. I had no idea he would shoot hexes at you."

Harry shook his head, "It's okay. I'm just glad I didn't … you know … kill you."

The blue haired Auror laughed, "No, I think it's going to take a lot more than that to take me out."

The infirmary doors swung open and the headmaster walked in with eyes twinkling.

"Ah, Harry you're awake. Good afternoon Tonks," Dumbledore greeted jovially as he stood by the bed.

"Good afternoon sir," both Harry and Tonks replied.

"That was quite an impressive display of magic you performed my boy! You managed to impress Minister Fudge into leaving us alone for a while," Dumbledore stated with a grin.

Harry shrugged off the compliment but was glad the Headmaster was not angry at him.

The doors swung open again and this time Severus walked in with a scowl as he made his way towards them. Harry immediately stood up and faced his father nervously but with a brave front.

Severus rudely ignored Dumbledore and Tonks and addressed Harry, "Madame Pomfrey said you may continue recovering in our quarters. Come."

Harry looked at Tonks and Dumbledore before going back to his bed to grab his robe. He wasn't sure if Severus was mad at him or everyone else. He pulled the robe over his pajamas and pushed his feet into his slippers. Severus threw and arm over his shoulders and began to lead him to the door. Harry sidestepped out of his father's arm and ignored the man's snort over him doing so.

Dumbledore spoke up before they left, "Severus, we all thought we were doing the right thing."

Severus' stopped walking. They both turned back to face the Headmaster.

"Albus, I take full responsibility for my part in this training. I neglected to check up on Harry and establish that he was being treated with respect. However, I will not allow my son to remain at this school with Moody on staff. I intend to take Harry back to the manor today."

"Severus, you have already dealt out a severe punishment towards Moody. I doubt he will ever touch Harry again," Dumbledore said as he indicated towards the sleeping ex-Auror. Harry looked up at Severus with questioning eyes but his father just shook his head. He looked towards the bed in the far corner and noticed Moody had his arm and head bandaged. What had Severus done?

"Albus, my son came home with deep bruises covering his arms and legs and then I come to find out he had no way of contacting me to let me know he was being abused. In addition to that Moody held my mail to him as well as his mail to me. Not to mention the Warrior Blast that he was hit with and who knows what else he suffered at the hands of that mad man. Do not ask me to allow Moody to remain on staff or even in the Order Of the Phoenix. He will never be allowed in the same room as my son again," with that said Severus once again headed out the door with Harry by his side.

They didn't talk on the way down to the dungeon. When they walked into their quarters Severus' tone of voice changed and he kindly asked, "Would you prefer to rest on the sofa or in your bedroom?"

"The sofa's fine," Harry said and plopped down heavily against the pillows. He was so exhausted; the uncontrolled magic took so much out of him. He curled up on his side and kicked his slippers to the floor.

Severus looked at him with worry before taking his wand out and waving a pot of tea and biscuits into existence. He sat down on the edge of the sofa and instinctively raised his hand to push the hair back on his son's forehead. Harry moved away from his touch and sat up. Whatever training Moody had put the boy through had affected him greatly.

"I am sorry," Severus stated. "I should have checked on you while you were away. I regret to admit that I am not very skilled at parenting."

Harry didn't know how to answer that. He needed time to process all the new information.

Severus stood up and went to his desk. He came back with a small stack of letters wrapped in a string and handed them to Harry. "These were meant for you. They are the letters I sent you while you were away. Please note the dates when you read them."

Severus was still holding one letter and Harry noticed it was the letter he had sent him, he recognized his own writing on the front.

Severus raised the letter and looked Harry in the eye before saying, "I forgive you. I forgave you the day I sent you away. I've never been anything but proud to call you my son. We will talk more once you have read through those letters." Severus resisted touching Harry's face before heading down to his lab to leave the teen on his own.

Harry opened the letter on the top and began to read. It was the first letter Severus had written to him and the mirror was still in the envelope. He felt himself choke up at the kind words his father said. He read through the next letter asking him to contact Severus. So, all that time he was back at the camp pushing himself like crazy, his father was back here wondering why he hadn't used the mirror!

The next letter made Harry feel even worse. His father was asking him to give him one more chance and to talk with him that evening. He was glad to be away from Moody because if that blasted man had been in this room at the moment he had no doubts he would have injured him!

Harry slowly raised the mirror up to his face and called out, "Dad."

Severus felt the mirror vibrate and heard his son call for him. Instead of using the mirror though he decided to see Harry face to face. They had so much to talk about, so much to catch up on.

XXXXXXXXXXX

TBC

Next Chapter: What did Severus do to Moody?


	48. Chapter 48 Retrospection

-1 48 Retrospection

Severus stepped back into the living room with the expectation that the misunderstanding would soon be over, therefore he was surprised to see the anger in his son's eyes.

Harry sat up straighter before addressing his father, "I made a mistake. I thought you didn't forgive me for all the stupid things I did and I also assumed you didn't feel I had _earned_ your forgiveness."

At this point Severus was about to speak until Harry raised a hand and shook his head, "Please sir, let me finish."

Severus spread his hands out and gave a curt nod for Harry to continue.

"Now I see that I _was_ forgiven," Harry explained as he held up the first letter from Severus. "But … why did you leave me there for so long without checking up on me? I know you thought I had the mirror and could have contacted you at any point but … do you really think I'm so coldhearted that I would just ignore you?" Harry's voice had started out so calm but had risen a few octaves by the time he had finished speaking.

Severus leaned forward and placed a hand on top of Harry's hand. The teen quickly moved his hand but kept his gaze unwaveringly on his father.

Severus took a deep breath before stating, "Harry, I have failed you. In retrospect I now know that I should never have relied on Moody. I was responsible for your welfare and entrusted it to another. My parenting skills leave much to be desired, I am well aware of that. I sincerely thought you were still angry at me for sending you away and that was the reason you chose not to contact me."

Harry felt the anger twist a little more over hearing that. "Well, if you thought I was still angry then why didn't you come and try to talk to me about it? You left me alone with a madman for six weeks Severus! You didn't even check to see that I was okay!"

Severus leaned closer and tried to place a hand on his son's shoulder but it was shaken off in an instant. He remembered the comment Ms. Fairchild made to him when she returned from the camp. 'Harry looks very healthy but I find his obedience to Moody to be slightly unsettling.' At the time Severus had thought Harry was trying to succeed in the program but now he knew differently. Most likely the boy was being forced into obedience with a penalty that was painful enough to keep him in line. Regret and anger coursed through him making him take a deep breath and refocus on restoring the relationship with his son.

"Harry, I didn't abandon you. I made a poor decision on who to place my trust in but I didn't abandon you! Surely you must see the difference between the two?"

"NO! You left me there! You didn't even know what was happening to me, you just left me there!" By this time Harry's anger had escalated enough to make him disregard how his words were affecting his father. He gathered his emotions when he saw the horror on his father's face but he still felt deeply hurt. In a calmer voice he continued, "I've changed Severus and I'm not so sure it's for the better. I can feel the change as if it's palpable. When I was there I had to shut out my feelings for you in order to survive."

"To survive Harry?" Severus asked as emotions he never felt before coursed through him. What was Harry telling him? Was he saying he no longer wanted a father?

"Yes sir, to survive being left behind one more time," the sentence was left hanging in the air between them.

This time Severus grabbed Harry's hand and held onto it, even when Harry tried to pull away. "I will-not-let-you-do-this. I will not lose you over a misunderstanding and poor parenting skills. I made a horrible mistake but you could not be further from the truth if you thought I abandon you."

Harry ripped his hand away from his father's but Severus grabbed it back instantly. "No Harry, no," Severus said in a firm but quiet voice. "I will not waste even one more minute on misunderstandings. You must understand that if I had known Moody was treating you so brutally I would have been there in an instant. I thought you were doing better without me. Just as you asked me to forgive you, now it's my turn to ask you to forgive me, son."

Harry wanted to, he wanted to forgive him but so much had happened to him. Even though Moody withheld the mail, Severus should have come to check on him, right? But then again, who was _he_ to withhold forgiveness after what he had pulled? He couldn't be alone again now that he knew what having a father was like.

Harry dropped his chin down before quietly stating, "My whole life I've never had anyone to rely on, to care about me. But since you saved me that night from the Dursley's, I felt for the first time ever that I would be able to survive my destiny with Voldemort. You made me feel that I could finally rely on someone other than myself. I still need that Severus. Moody didn't manage to _train_ that out of me, although he tried his best."

Severus almost growled out in frustration over what he had allowed his son to be put through.

"I am pleased to hear that there is still room for a parent in your life. As inept as I am at parenting, I am not willing to stop being your father. We will get through this Harry," Severus waited a moment before releasing Harry's hand.

Harry felt better after getting everything out in the open. He stretched and yawned. Severus smiled over the youth's unguarded moment. The young man looked like the boy he still was.

"Why don't you catch a catnap before we floo to Snape manor? I have some potions to work on before leaving."

"Yes sir. How long will we be staying there?"

"Just through the weekend, unless Albus refuses to get rid of Mad Eye," Severus said with contempt. He tried not to remember how furious he felt when he saw the bruises on Harry's arms and legs for the first time. He had given Moody a 'lesson' the man was sure not to forget.

"Sir, what did you do to him?"

Severus scowled over the question and shook his head, "That is not important."

Harry really wanted to know but thought he would wait and ask Ron what had taken place.

"Do you really think the Headmaster will make Moody leave?" Harry asked with hopefulness. He couldn't imagine being stuck in class with the man after what had happened.

"He will if he wants us to return. However, you need not worry over such matters. I am here now and I do not intend to let Moody within fifty feet of you again," Severus pushed his son's hair back. He had failed miserably as a father and had so much to make up for.

"Did you see any of the demonstration sir?" Harry had done his best out there and up until the uncontrolled magic he had been pleased with his performance.

"I did see some. You have improved with both your blocks and spells quite adequately. Perhaps we should work on duel spells and blocks whilst we are at the manor this weekend?'

Harry's face showed his distress over his father's apparent disapproval. He had really given the demonstration every thing he had but the duel block/spell was really hard to hold. He knew he would need to practice that combat move to succeed against Voldemort. "Yes sir, of course."

Severus noticed Harry's disappointment but he knew he had to be truthful. The boy's life could depend on it. "I am quite certain it will not take you long to master that move. You are better than even I am at the rebound block and that is saying much," Severus teased. "Perhaps you might even be better than me in other areas of dueling as well.

"Would you like to duel?" There was an excitement in Harry's voice that he couldn't hide. He wanted to show his father just how hard he had been working.

Severus smiled and gave Harry a pat on the shoulder, "I accept. However tomorrow will be soon enough for a duel."

"May I ask one more question sir?"

_So formal, so compliant, still so unsure of his worth, _thought Severus. "Yes son you may."

"Is there any news of Vespa?"

Severus took in a deep breath and looked slightly apprehensive before saying, "It seems that Vespa has disappeared. Her home was searched by ministry officials and found to be completely empty. All her estates and holdings have been liquefied. Furthermore, Charlet has not heard from her. As a matter of fact, Beauxbaton has forwarded the bill for Charlet's tuition on to me. It seems that her real parents went missing years ago and other than Vespa she has no family."

"You mean she's an orphan like me now?"

Severus shook his head and squeezed Harry's shoulder rather harshly, "You are not an orphan. Please do not ever refer to yourself in that manner again."

Severus' severe voice startled Harry, making him feel slightly uncomfortable over his seemingly thoughtless words.

Severus released his son's shoulder, berating himself for being so harsh. If truth be told it disturbed him to hear those words come out of Harry's mouth. He knew he was doing a very poor job of parenting if his son still referred to himself as an orphan!

He quickly brought the subject back to Vespa, "Apparently I am Charlet's last link to family. I paid the bill for Beauxbaton yesterday. And I might add that girl knows how to spend money. Her housing bill alone was twice as much as an entire year at Hogwarts!"

Harry could only imagine the necessities a girl like that would feel she needed. It made him chuckle until he looked up into his father's scowl.

"Laugh now Harry, but don't be surprised if you end up having to sell that hover board you are so fond of in order to keep that girl in new shoes!" Severus said with a dry wit.

That made Harry laugh out loud much to Severus' satisfaction. Things between them would be alright. Severus spelled forth a warm quilt for his son before heading down to his lab.

Harry slept for an hour before waking and feeling much stronger. He showered and went into his bedroom. He loved this room. It was filled with all his most precious items with no one to disturb them. It just felt safe and he hadn't felt that way in such a long time. When he opened his closet door he couldn't believe what he was looking at. The closet was stuffed full of brand new clothes. Severus really had a thing for buying him new clothes. It was hard getting used to those thoughtful gestures once again after being deprived of niceties for so long.

Harry looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't get over how much he had grown. Maybe that magical porridge wasn't so bad after all? The black pants and black sweater fit him perfectly. After he was packed and dressed he went out to the living room to wait for his father.

Just as he was packing the last of his school books the doorbell rang and he went to answer it.

"Hey Malfoy," Harry said and stepped aside so the Slytherin could enter.

"Hey Potter. Is Severus around?"

"He's down in the lab. You can go down if you want to," Harry offered as he finished stuffing more books into his trunk.

"Potter you missed the real duel!" Malfoy said with glee. "The duel between you and the Aurors was pretty remarkable but the real duel was between Severus and Moody!"

"Yeah, I asked Severus about it but he wouldn't tell me anything."

"I'll tell you. After Pomfrey took you to the infirmary, Severus went after Moody! "Malfoy said, clearly happy to relay the story. "Oh Merlin it was so brilliant. Severus went after Moody right in front of everyone. He shot him with hexes and Moody tried fighting back but Severus bound him up just like you were bound up. Then he did the same thing to him as Moody did to you. It was wicked! Too bad you couldn't have seen it."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He really wished he could have seen the ex-Auror getting beat up by his dad.

Just then the doorbell rang again. Harry opened the door and was surprised to see Ron and Hermione.

"Hey guys, come on in," Harry offered.

Hermione looked like she wanted to give Harry a hug but changed her mind. Ron walked in looking around cautiously. When he spotted Malfoy they both glared at each other. "What's he doin here?" Ron asked rudely.

Harry shrugged, "He's here to see Severus. Malfoy was just telling me about Severus beating up Moody."

Hermione shook her head and rolled her eyes but Ron broke out into a huge grin.

"Yeah, it was pretty amazing to see those two goin after each other. Snape gave Moody a Warrior blast that broke through his shield and hit him so hard it actually broke his arm! Then he shot him with this curse that nearly took Moody's head off. I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Professor Snape in a duel," Ron admitted and looked around cautiously once more.

"I wish I could have seen it," Harry said with disappointment.

"Mad Eye deserved everything he got," Ron said. "I can't believe he was shooting all those stinging hexes at you when you were bound up. And what about that magic that came out of you Harry? Bloody hell, you are really powerful! You took out all four Aurors!"

"I'm just glad I didn't hurt anyone with it," Harry said. "Moody forced it out of me."

Hermione was studying Harry closely, "Are you alright Harry? Was Moody using those hexes during your training program too?"

Harry stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked down. He wasn't ready to share his experiences of training camp with his friends quite yet.

Hermione figured he was being trained like that. It would account for his sudden aversion to being touched by anyone. She surprised all three boys when she said, "Well then, I'm glad Professor Snape kicked Moody's butt."

All three boys broke out in hysterics over hearing that. Severus was on the step coming up to the living room when he heard Ms. Granger's comment. "I am glad you approve of my method of discipline Ms. Granger."

Hermione blushed furiously sending the boys into more laughter.

Severus looked at his son laughing. It was good to see the old Harry coming back once again. His gaze stopped when Draco caught his eye. What was the boy doing here?

Draco calmed down and handed Severus a letter, "It's from my mum. She wants me to come home this weekend but she doesn't say why. Dumbledore said I need to get permission from you."

Ron looked at Draco suspiciously and brashly spat out, "Maybe it's for a homecoming party for your dad."

"Shut up Weaselbee!" Malfoy yelled before Snape stepped in.

"Both of you shut up," Severus sternly retorted with a glare towards both boys. "I would rather you didn't go back Draco. However, I can hardly deny your mother the company. Just be careful and do not do anything unwise."

"Don't worry. I'll be careful," Draco replied sardonically. "I see you guys are going home too?" he asked as he indicated towards the packed trunks.

"Yes, I feel Harry is in need of a little relaxation after his training with Moody. Perhaps some time spent flying will help him to relax," Severus said and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry tried not to react to his father's hand but he became rigid as he stood amongst his friends. Severus noticed but intentionally left his hand where it was.

Harry looked at his friends as a thought occurred to him, "Sir, would you mind if Ron and Hermione joined us at Snape Manor?"

Severus creased his brow as he looked over the two friends then he looked at his son, "On one condition. You must stop calling me 'sir'." Hopefully the boy would revert to calling him 'dad' once again.

Ron and Hermione raised their eyebrows over hearing that. Draco snorted with envy.

Severus responded with a glare towards the Slytherin. His callous reputation was really in jeopardy now.

Harry felt more uncomfortable than ever as everyone turned to look at him, "Yes sir … I mean Severus."

"Very well then, I see no reason why they should not join us." Severus saw Harry's smile and knew he had done the right thing. "Get permission from your parents and pack a bag for the weekend Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley. We will be departing within the hour."

Both Gryffindors broke out into big grins and headed for the door.

Severus noticed Malfoy scowling at the Gryffindors. He knew the boy wanted to spend time at Snape Manor as well. "Draco you may join us too after you have fulfilled your obligations at home."

Ron nearly objected but caught himself just in time.

"Bring your brooms," Severus instructed, "I have a surprise waiting for Harry."

Harry looked up at his father, "What surprise sir … erm Severus?"

"It would not be a surprise if I told you now, would it? You will see when we get home."

XXXXXXXXXXX

An hour later all four were sitting around an elaborately dressed dinner table. Harry almost laughed at the way Ron was trying so hard not to drop anything off his fork before it reached his mouth. Hermione's eyes were as big as saucers as she looked around the ornately furnished room. Severus seemed not to notice his guest's utter disbelief as he ate his supper in near silence. Harry was just happy to be eating real food. The novelty of eating something other than porridge had still not worn off, so every bite was bliss.

Hermione finally gathered herself and asked, "Harry, did you have any nightmares while you were training?"

Harry thought that an odd question to ask during supper, "No. I never felt Voldemort until I got back last night. Wherever that secret location is must be pretty well guarded to keep him out of my dreams."

Severus put his fork down and leaned forward with a glower, "Why didn't you come down to the quarters and inform me of your dream?" Severus had been feeling the dark mark on his arm blazing in the past week. He had been sending numerous notes to Moody asking him if Harry was having nightmares but Moody always responded with a negative.

Harry sat up straighter looking Severus in the eye, "I didn't require your assistance, Severus. It wasn't a vision just a nightmare of sorts."

Severus was taken a back over the boy's strength. He picked up his fork and continued eating without further words.

Ron began talking about the Quidditch matches Harry had missed while he was away which took up the rest of the conversation through dinner.

When supper was finished Harry gave his friends the grand tour before letting them choose their rooms. Ron was completely gob smacked over the enormity of the house while Hermione went on and on about the antiques it held. They finally finished their tour in the wing Harry and his dad slept in.

"You guys can pick any room you want. This one's mine though." Harry threw open his door and was greeted with a warm fire and his bedding turned down for the night.

"Bloody hell mate! This room is bigger than the Gryffindor common room," Ron exclaimed.

Hermione ran her hand over the fine hand stitched bedding and then gave Harry a big smile, "I'm really happy for you Harry. You deserve to live like this."

Harry walked to his trunk and began unpacking in order to avoid their stares. He had forgotten how impressive this house was but saw it anew through his friend's eyes.

Ron went to the window and looked out at the backyard. It went on and on in rolling grass. He almost choked when he spotted the Quidditch pitch on the back end.

"Bloody hell Harry, you have your own Quidditch pitch!"

Harry and Hermione ran to the window. Harry couldn't believe that Severus would build something like that for him. He was speechless over the thought and time and trouble Severus had went through.

"I didn't know he was doing that," Harry whispered out, still in awe.

"Come on let's go!" Ron yelled and ran for the door, ready to grab his broom and head outside. Ron collided with Severus as the Potion Master was walking into the room. The ginger haired Gryffindor stopped short and began to stutter out his apologies. He would not soon forget the battle he saw between the professor and Moody. He couldn't believe how stupid he felt for actually bumping into the vicious man.

Severus stared down at the blubbering fool until the Gryffindor finally closed his mouth. He ignored him and walked the rest of the way into his son's bedroom.

Harry immediately walked towards his father and stuck out his hand, "Thank you Severus. That Quidditch pitch is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."

Severus took hold of Harry's hand and shook it as he hid his disappointment over getting a formal handshake for his efforts. "I am pleased you approve." He missed the old Harry but was infinitely proud of this strong self assured Harry. He just wished the boy would loosen up a bit and let his guard down.

Ron and Harry decided that a night Quidditch match was just what they needed until Severus put a halt to the idea.

"I believe Madame Pomfrey would take me to task if she knew I let you play Quidditch on the day she released you from the infirmary," Severus stated firmly.

Harry was crestfallen but wouldn't think to openly challenge his father's decision.

Severus shook his head, "No, not tonight. Tomorrow will be soon enough."

"Yes sir," Harry said as he went back to the window.

The Potion Master turned his attention to Harry's friends, "Have you decided on which rooms you will occupy?"

Ron chose the room with the extra large bed big enough to fit six people. Hermione chose the room with shelves and shelves of books. Once they were unpacked they went back into Harry's room to hang out. They stayed up till midnight drinking hot chocolate, talking and just catching up. Harry's thoughts continuously went back to Ginny and he couldn't help but miss her.

"Hey Ron, is Ginny at the burrow?" Harry suddenly blurted out.

"No mate, they took her to an unplottable location. My parents have been really freaked out about the whole thing. I overheard Dumbledore tell my dad that Voldemort has some sort of obsession with her since he possessed her during second year," Ron said ominously.

"So, it doesn't have anything to do with me dating her?" Harry asked with relief over not being the cause of Ginny having to leave the school.

"Apparently not. As far as Dumbledore is concerned Voldemort just wants to get her back. It's really horrible to think of Voldemort stalking Ginny," Ron whispered out.

"She'll be okay Ron," Hermione offered and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, Ginny's not going to let that bastard anywhere near her," Harry offered as he thought of the feisty girl. Voldemort had already robbed him of his parents and Godfather; there was no way he would let the bastard take away his girl as well.

XXXXXXXXXX

Much later that night Harry was lying in bed staring up at the ceiling. Another nightmare had awoken him but just like last night, he couldn't remember anything about it. He knew he had occluded before he went to bed but something was trying to break through. He couldn't shake the feeling that something big was on the horizon. He wrestled with the idea of going to Severus with the nightmare but decided it wasn't substantial enough to disturb his father. Besides he was pretty used to taking care of himself now and felt uncomfortable running to his father over nothing.

An hour later he changed his mind when he woke up screaming with his scar split open and bleeding down his face and front of his shirt. He had placed a silencing charm around his bed before he fell asleep so was not surprised his father had not heard him. Now he wished he hadn't placed the silencing charm because his head hurt so badly it made him sick to his stomach. He stood up on shaky legs and slowly made his way down the hall to his father's rooms.

He didn't bother knocking so as not to alert his house guests of his quandary. When he stumbled into the room his father already had his wand in hand and was leaning up on his elbows.

At first sight of Harry, Severus dropped his wand and ran to the boy. "Harry, is it Voldemort?" He led Harry to his bed and helped him to lie down with pillows propped behind his head then turned up the lights with a swish of his wand. His breath caught in his chest when he saw the bloody open scar.

Harry was trying so hard to hold it together and not scream out with the agony he felt. Voldemort was relentless as he struck against his defenses. "Hurts," Harry managed to say through clenched teeth as he clawed at his scar.

Severus moved Harry's hand away from his forehead and looked at the open pulsing wound.

"Harry, are you occluding your mind, son?" Severus asked with urgency.

"M'trying … hurts so bad," Harry moaned before he leaned over the bed and began to wrench up his dinner.

Severus held his head and whispered out encouraging words before Harry leaned back once again. Harry saw his father spell away the vomit and he felt the wet blood on his t-shirt vanish.

"I don't know what he wants," Harry panted out. "Should I see, should I let my walls down?"

"No! Just keep occluding, he'll go away soon," Severus advised. He was distressed beyond reason over Voldemort attacking his son so ruthlessly. Was the bastard close by? The last time the scar had been ripped open Voldemort was in the forest at the school. Whatever that madman wanted Harry to see was not something he wanted his son to see. He pulled Harry up and held him close, all the while wishing he could take the pain away.

Harry didn't think about the training or Moody or anything else. He was just reassured by the strong arms offering him comfort. He felt Voldemort ramming into his brain once more.

"Silencing spell," Harry spat out before clenching his teeth shut while holding back the screams that threatened to burst forth.

Severus immediately understood and cast a heavy silencing spell over the room. He knew his son didn't want his friends to witness this latest attack.

Harry felt another surge pain rip at his brain and began to scream. His head felt as if someone was hitting it with a jackhammer.

Severus pressed his wand to Harry's head and helped him keep the walls of occlumency strong. Harry immediately felt his dad's presence and let him in with relief. Between the two of them they held strong until Voldemort finally gave up and stopped.

It was another few minutes before Harry realized he was clutching his dad's pajama top and pressing his head against Severus' chest. When he pulled back he noticed his own blood soaked clean through the pajama top and felt shame creep in for acting so frightened. "Sorry," he whispered and avoided looking in his father's eyes.

"Shhh," Severus said and pulled his son to him again. "Just relax and take deep breaths."

Severus finally felt Harry relax and begin to breathe evenly. He helped him to lie back against the pillows and began to clean up the blood covering himself and his son. After applying healing cream to the angry red scar, Severus sat back and looked into Harry's eyes.

"Do you have any idea what Voldemort was after?"

Harry didn't trust his voice from cracking but quietly said, "It's bad. I-I can't tell exactly what he wants but there's this feeling…"

Severus leaned in closer as Harry's voice gave out, "What is it son?"

"Severus, I think it's going to happen soon."

"What Harry? What is going to happen soon!" Severus asked anxiously.

Harry slowly took hold of his father's hands and squeezed them, "I'm going to face _him _soon."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TBC

Ahh my dear readers, I must confess that the story is coming to an end. I'm not exactly sure how many chapters are left but … not that many. It's been a wonderful journey though. Yours truly, Rachel


	49. Chapter 49 The Ring

-1Severus couldn't breathe for a moment as the words his son just spoke reverberated in his mind. He could tell his son was looking to him for strength, he could feel the anxiety Harry felt through the firm grip of his hands.

'_I'm going to face him soon.' _

Harry's words cut Severus to the core. He wasn't ready to see Harry battle Voldemort, he wasn't ready to let Harry meet his destiny and he certainly wasn't ready for the possibility of losing his son. With guilt he remembered back to when he had first taken the boy in, allowed himself the luxury of believing it was for his own good to help the boy. All to atone for the sins of his past. Then, the boy had broken through the hard shell that had encased his heart since he was a child. He was vulnerable now simply because he actually cared for Harry, loved Harry like the son he never had.

Christmas was only a few short weeks away with school letting out for the holiday in one week. Gifts had been ordered, arrangements had been made to make this a memorable first Christmas together as a family. Now, the threat of Voldemort would be lurking in the shadows, they would be waiting for the inevitable to happen.

Severus gathered his emotions and forced himself to look strong. The boy needed his strength, now was not the time for emotions. He had always known it would come to this one day but he just wasn't prepared for how much he would care for this boy.

Harry had never seen Severus look so frightened. It alarmed him. "Are you alright sir?"

Severus cursed himself for such a pathetic display of emotions having been exposed to his son. That was not what the boy needed now; he needed his strength, "Pardon my improper reaction. Your statement was unexpected. Are you certain that Voldemort is near?"

Harry slowly nodded his head, never breaking eye contact, "Quite certain, sir."

Severus gave a quick nod before dragging his eyes away from that expectant face. He felt himself let go of the firm grip his son had on his hands and stand up. He knew what needed to be done and walked across the room to his chest of drawers. He pulled forth a small box then went back to sit on the edge of the bed once again.

Harry watched as his father opened the box and took out a silver ring with a red stone. The ring was plain with just a flat red stone in the center, clearly a ring for a man without adornments.

Severus held the ring up before Harry, "When I first became a spy for Albus he gave this to me. It is actually a portkey that is strong enough to break through Voldemort's wards. There is no other ring like this one, it contains a powerful magic. I have had this ring spelled to bring you to the secret location you trained at with Moody, should the need ever arise. You must wear this at all times." He handed the ring to Harry and watched as his son slipped it on. The ring was too big but with a flick of his wand Severus spelled it to fit Harry perfectly.

"Thank you. I'm not exactly sure what I would do without you," Harry whispered, thoroughly undone by the gift. He swallowed back the lump in his throat before looking down at the ring, rubbing his finger over the smooth stone. "How does it work?"

"It does not require a wand to activate. You simply rub the stone and say "Emunio."

Harry stopped rubbing the stone before repeating the word out loud. He didn't fancy being sent back to the training camp right now. At his father's nod he smiled and began to get out of the bed until Severus pushed him back against the pillows.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"To bed sir," Harry answered warily. He fought the sleep that threatened to take hold. Voldemort's attacks always left him so tired.

"That is correct. However, I feel it best if you stay where you are. I would rather be in attendance should you require my assistance once again," Severus stated firmly as he sat down in a chair next to the bed.

Harry didn't have the energy to argue, beside the fact that he would sleep much better in here than by himself in his own room. He mumbled out his gratitude before dozing off into a dream free sleep. Severus sat watching his son's face relax. He couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that hovered in the air. He had no doubts that Voldemort would surface soon due to the dark mark flaring with pain on his arm. The last time he felt that much pain in the dark mark was when the Potter family had been attacked fifteen years previously.

Severus walked towards the window, flicking his wand to call his estate owls to him. He felt the chill in the air and noticed the first snow on the rolling grass before leaving the window partially open. It was with great consternation that Severus put into action the emergency plan he and Albus had meticulously put together. The first step in the plan would require Harry to have a body guard twenty four hours a day. Not just any body guard but specially trained bodyguards from the ministry that were loyal to Dumbledore. The ministry called these people the Unspeakables. A handful had joined the Order but never attended a meeting to keep their identity secret.

Severus sat behind the small desk in his bedroom and began writing the letters necessary to begin the emergency plan. By morning every Order member would be on high alert, ready to apparate to any location within seconds. He kept an eye on Harry as the boy slept through the arrival of several owls flying through the bedroom window. The boy didn't even wake up when Hedwig nipped at his hair, much to the Potion Master's dismay.

After shooing Hedwig away, Severus left the room for a moment to gather the emergency potions he would begin to keep on him at all times. He stored the vials in the lining of his black robe after showering and dressing for the day. By the time he came out of the bathroom he noticed his son stirring on the bed and went to his side.

Harry's eyes fluttered open. It took him a moment to realize where he was. In his half awake stage he sleepily mumbled out, "Thanks for staying with me dad."

Severus felt his heart beat harder but kept his face impassive as always. The boy would never know how that word affected him. "Good morning son. I expect you slept better the second half of the night?"

Harry rubbed his eyes and sat up straighter feeling awkward for having caused such a fuss last night. He pushed his hair back and looked his father in the eyes, "I slept much better sir. I'm sorry I let that happen. I was weak; I should have practiced my Occlumency and become stronger while I was away."

Severus saw the flush creep up his son's face and wanted to shake the boy. He hated the fact that Harry now felt ashamed over the attacks. Obviously the boy had no control over the situation. He ignored Harry's rigidity and placed a hand on each of his shoulders, pulling the boy closer, "Harry, you were not weak. Even the strongest Death Eater succumbs to Voldemort's mental attacks. You held him at bay until he gave up. There is nothing weak in what happened here last night."

Harry felt that treacherous lump rise in his throat but swallowed it down as he noticed a shadow pass by the professor's partially opened bedroom door. The thought of one of his friends seeing him so vulnerable made him push back away from Severus. He quickly mumbled out, "Thank you sir." He noticed Severus' look of discontent.

Severus stood up quickly trying to get past his son's refusal to allow himself to be comforted. Moody had done a brilliant job of turning Harry into a soldier. He hated that man and hated the fact that he had forced his son into that training.

Harry swung his legs to the ground and thanked his father once more before heading back to his room. When he entered his room he noticed the trail of blood still on the floor and on his bedding. Thankfully Kenzi would take care of that before his friends saw it. After showering and dressing for the day in his warmest jumper he went down to join his friends for breakfast.

Ron and Hermione were whispering furiously when Harry stepped into the room. They quickly stopped talking and looked at him cautiously. Harry stopped in the doorway assessing the situation. Obviously they knew something about last night by the look Hermione was giving him. She had that sympathetic mothering look to her.

"Good morning guys. How did you sleep?" Harry asked as he ignored their stare and sat down to eat. He piled pancakes and eggs onto his plate.

"Harry, what happened last night? I saw blood in your room this morning and … and Professor Snape hugging you this morning," Hermione blurted out before she lost her nerve.

Harry stopped eating, feeling more shame wash over him. He was just about to answer when his father stepped into the room and answered for him, "I was unaware of your highly developed spying abilities Ms. Granger. I must remember to re-enforce the alarms surrounding my quarters."

Hermione blushed furiously but did manage to say, "I wasn't spying sir. I saw blood in Harry's room and went to get you."

Severus arched an eyebrow, "Perhaps it is best if I enlighten the two of you on the current situation. Last night Harry's mind was attacked by Voldemort."

Both Gryffindor gasped and looked towards Harry.

"I'm okay guys," Harry assured them but quickly averted his gaze and studied his pancakes with extra attention. He really wished Severus wouldn't tell them but didn't want to argue over the matter.

Snape pulled the teen's attention back to him, "Harry conducted himself commendably during the attack. He was so strong that he actually kept Voldemort from entering his mind. However, he was able to ascertain the likelihood of an attack in the near future."

Both teens sat in total silence. This was getting scary.

"I have arranged a body guard to accompany Harry _everywhere,_ and I do mean everywhere, he goes."

Snape was suddenly interrupted by Harry, "Excuse me sir, but I don't need a body guard."

Snape shook his head ignoring his son's plea, "It matters not what you feel you need. You will have a body guard with you twenty four hours a day. Albus and I feel it is for the best."

"No sir, I won't," came Harry's strong voice. He was not backing down on this point. There was no way he would be the cause for someone else dying to protect him!

"Yes son you will," Severus responded in a voice of steel, allowing no room for argument. "As a matter of fact your body guard will be here before the end of breakfast to escort you around the manor until Albus and I deem it unnecessary."

Harry stood up placing his palms flat on the table and leaning towards his father. He noticed Ron's look of alarm but pointedly ignored him, facing his father instead, "I will **not **have a body guard. You are entirely too over protective of me, sir. I will not be treated like a child!"

Severus glared across the table at his son, "You are not yet an adult and I am responsible for your safety. I am over protective of you because you seem to land yourself in a fair amount conflict, not to mention the information you acquired last night. This matter is at a close, son. Now sit and finish your breakfast."

"My _safety?" _Harry repeated incredulously with a hint of anger. "I think you gave up the right to be in charge of my safety when you left me stranded in a camp for six weeks with a madman!"

Severus remained seated but leaned forward on the table with a stern look but feeling that stab of guilt he seemed to be caring around since he sent the boy away, "I was unable to care for you during that time. You required constant supervision and training that I could not give you while I was ill. I believe you know my regrets over that particular situation. The body guard is non negotiable, you will accept."

_Non negotiable? _Harry couldn't allow this. "No, I can't accept! " When Severus ignored him he swept his plate from the table with fury. The dish hit the wall breaking into hundreds of pieces.

Hermione was in tears but Ron looked ready to faint over Snape's cold glare.

"I know my destiny Severus. No amount of body guards will stop it from happening. I refuse to put another person in the line of fire to protect me. Too many people have already died for me and I won't allow another. They would essentially be signing up for a suicide mission," Harry said in a tight controlled voice.

Severus was taken aback over the boy's complete understanding of what he would face and his total lack of fear, stupid Gryffindor. He let his own anger over the boy's refusal to comply take control, his voice took on a threatening edge, "As I said before Mr. Potter, this discussion is not open for debate. You either accept the body guard or you will remain locked up in your room until you do. Now, do we have an understanding?"

"No sir. You can't do that," Harry boldly stated much to the horror of his friends. Hermione had seen Snape's paternal side but Ron had just recently witnessed the Death Eater side and cringed in horror for his friend.

"You forget your place Harry. Now sit!" Severus growled out, his knuckles turning white over the firm grip he had on his fork. When Harry remained standing Severus stood up, leaning forward with a menacing glare, "Do not test me, boy!" No one seemed to breathe for a long moment before Severus filled with fury over the audacity the boy had. He threw his napkin down onto the table before striding over to his defiant son.

Harry's bravery wavered in the face of his angry father. But he couldn't allow another person to die for him, he just couldn't. "Please don't lock me up," came Harry's quiet voice, the anger gone, replaced with resignation over the punishment he would endure.

Severus was at a complete loss. Didn't the blasted boy realize he wasn't ready to face the Dark Lord yet? How could Potter be so stubborn? Severus knew his only purpose left in this life was to get the boy through this war. He didn't care if Harry hated him when this war was over as long as he got him through it, there would be time to heal when the war ended. With a heavy heart fueled by fear and more anger than he liked to admit, he grabbed Harry by his arm and flung him up against the wall.

Harry saw stars for a moment before his vision cleared and he saw his father's angry glare.

"Get up to your room," Severus hissed, hating the thought of punishing his son but knowing it was for his own good.

Harry couldn't believe Severus was acting this way in front of his friends. He swept out of the room without glancing at the looks of horror he knew his friends held. The walk up to his room seemed to last forever. Once they were standing face to face in his room he heard his father's petition.

"Harry, be reasonable. You are not ready, it isn't your time yet," Severus beseeched placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry shook his head and with remorse replied, "I'm sorry … I'm sorry I ever let you into my life because I'm certain you'll be hurt too. Just like everyone I love. Everyone dies to protect me. I shouldn't have let myself get so close to you Severus, I wish I hadn't."

Severus squeezed Harry's shoulder until the boy winced, '"Don't you ever let me catch you saying anything like that again. I'm here because I chose to be here. You were not responsible for anyone's death. If anything happens to me it will be because I chose to be here. Allow me to be a father to you, let me make decisions regarding your welfare."

"No sir, I won't put anyone else in danger," Harry flatly stated.

Severus was hurt over his son's flat out rejection. The little control he had left over his anger suddenly disappeared and he forced himself to step away from his son.

"Fine, then stay in here for the foreseeable future. It will certainly make keeping you safe much simpler," Severus alleged in a snide voice. "Be forewarned, if you try to cross the threshold to this room you will be shocked, literally."

Harry was left standing in his room knowing he made the only decision he could live with. It wasn't long before Ron and Hermione made their way up and came to console him. They didn't get a magical shock when they entered the room making Harry begin to wonder if he would get shocked if he tried to leave.

Ron and Hermione held their breath as Harry tested out the theory. He tentatively placed a foot across the door frame earning himself a zap. Merlin, he really was a prisoner!

"Bloody hell Harry, who do you think you are yelling at Snape like that? I saw him take out Moody with a flick of his wand! He could take you out with his eyes closed if he wanted to. Blimey Harry, I thought he was gonna throw you through the wall!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry snorted, "Ron, he's my father. He's not gonna kill me. Just because he beat the crap out of Moody doesn't mean he does that sort of stuff to me."

"Yeah Ron, Professor Snape treats Harry like a real son," Hermione chimed in, remembering the warm embrace she witnessed this morning. "Although, I must admit I was rather petrified for a few moments."

"Why don't you just take the body guard and ditch him when the time comes?" Ron asked as he made himself at home, stretching across Harry's bed with his shoes on.

"Cause how do I know when the time is coming? I can't risk having someone else killed. I have to figure out a way to get Severus to understand," Harry stated as he plopped down on a chair, his foot still feeling the after effects of the chastisement.

"Harry, I don't think professor Snape is being unreasonable on this. I understand what it is you're saying but he's your father and his first concern is you. Those Unspeakables and Aurors put themselves in combative situations protecting far less than someone like you," Hermione reasoned.

They debated the fact for a few more minutes before Severus rushed into the room with robes billowing. He had a handful of letters in his hand and looked about nervously. His gaze seemed to stop on Ron for a moment making the Gryffindor nervous he had his shoes on the bed. The Potion Master's gaze finally settled on Harry.

"I must leave. I am not sure how long I will be gone but I must insist you accept the body guard until I return. We will renegotiate upon my return. Keep your mirror and wand with you at all times," Severus hated leaving on bad terms but time was of the essence at this point. The news he had just received was grim.

Harry acquiesced simply because his heart was racing with fear over what had his father so nervous. Something big had definitely happened. "Yes sir," came Harry's dutiful voice. When Severus turned to leave Harry quickly asked, "What's happened? Are you going to be in danger?"

Severus didn't want to lie but the truth was too horrific to reveal, "Just stay inside and if you need assistance you can floo straight into Albus' office. Be safe son and be wise."

With that last statement he hastily walked to the door. With a few flicks of his wand he took the spell off the door and turned back to look at the golden trio. "I expect you all to act like adults and stay out of mischief." Severus stepped to the side as a very large man in a gray cloak with his hood pulled up covering his face, stood quietly at the door.

"This is Mr. Begoda, Harry. He will be following you today," Severus cast another look around before sweeping out of the room.

Mr. Begoda didn't say anything but turned and stood at the door with his back to the teens.

Hermione quietly began guessing what had happened. Ron thought maybe the school was under attack but Harry knew if it was then Severus wouldn't have told them to go there if they were in trouble. They were interrupted by a commotion in the hall. They all clutched their wands tighter and looked towards the door. A moment later the Unspeakable dragged in a very haggard looking Draco.

As soon as he was released Draco readjusted his robes and looked at the Unspeakable with irritation.

"Bloody hell Potter, now you've got body guards? I thought he was going to hex me until your house elf stopped him."

Harry saw the black eye and swollen lip Malfoy sported, "Did he hit you Malfoy?"

Malfoy quickly looked down, "No, these were gifts from my father." Malfoy shrugged and looked towards the Unspeakable at the door. "Where's Severus at?"

"An emergency came up," Harry said noting the nervousness in the Slytherin.

"Yeah, right. Then he knows already," Draco said and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Knows what?" Ron and Harry asked at the same time.

Draco looked at the body guard apprehensively, "Any chance we could lose the giant? I have something important to tell you, especially you Weasley."

Harry walked to the door and addressed the half giant, "Excuse me sir, do you mind if we close the door?"

The man didn't move from the threshold. He stood with his back leaning against the door frame, not about to budge as he kept his eye on Malfoy.

Hermione called Harry back and all four teens crowded into the closet. Hermione cast a privacy spell on the door and the boy's lit their wands for light.

Ron didn't like the anxious look in Malfoy's eye, "Okay spit it out Malfoy. What's goin on?"

Draco wasted no time, "About half an hour ago I saw a large group of Death Eaters entering our house with my father. I followed them down to the dungeons to see what was going on and discovered they had a prisoner."

Ron angrily spat out, "What's that got to do with me?"

Draco took a deep breath before answering, "The prisoner … was your sister."

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TBC

Hi All- Just wanted to let you know that I rewrote chapters 1 thru 10. The biggest changes are in chapters two thru 4. The rest of the chapters will be cleaned up and then I'll give them titles when I find them satisfactory. Please do me a favor and let me know what you think, pretty please …


	50. Chapter 50 The Black Door

-150 - The Black Door

All four teens were crowded into the small closet with wands lit. Draco looked at the Gryffindors and could see shock clearly written on all their faces over the horrible news he just told them. It was true though, he had seen it with his own eyes; Ginny Weasley was a prisoner, with his own father as the kidnapper.

Harry was the first to recover after hearing the grim news, "Malfoy, how do you know!" But he already knew that it was true, why else would Severus be running out and leave them with such a look of dread.

"Because I saw her Potter. I followed the group of Death Eaters down into the dungeon and saw her with my own eyes. She had a binding curse on her and they were taking her to the Dark Lord," Malfoy said as he readied himself in case Weasley attacked him. He quickly added, "She wasn't hurt though."

"What do you mean they're taking her to Voldemort!" screamed Ron as his lit wand shook with fear for his little sister.

"There's a portal that leads to Knockturn Alley in our dungeon, they went through it. I heard them say how happy V-v… um, the Dark Lord was going to be when they brought Ginny to him," Malfoy said keeping his eye on Weasley.

"What about my mum and dad? Were they hurt?" Ron demanded to know as his heart twisted with dread. There was no way his mum would let Ginny out of her sight and he knew they would fight to the death to keep her safe.

"Calm down Weasley," Draco said in a rush, "Your parents are alright. Your sister snuck out of wherever they were hiding her and that's when she got nabbed. I'm not sure how they caught her but I heard them say that she walked right into their trap."

"What happened to your face?" Harry asked as he tried to comprehend that Ginny was in mortal peril.

"My dad caught me before I had a chance to sneak back up the stairs," Malfoy said sullenly.

Malfoy shook his head before quietly confessing, "I told him he was wrong to kidnap a teenager. You have to understand, my father doesn't like anyone telling him he's wrong. Anyway, he just lost it and started hitting me with his fists. He's never done that before …"

Harry studied Malfoy's face for any signs of a lie, when he felt satisfied he looked at his friends. Hermione was slumped to the ground with her face in her hands and Ron was shaking his head in total denial.

"He's lying," Ron spat out with anger.

Harry stopped him from advancing on Malfoy, "No Ron, its true. I just know it's true."

"We have to go save her," Ron stated as he made to open the door.

"Whoa, wait Ron! Let's think about this for a minute," Harry said thinking of the other times he had led his friends into mortal peril. No, he wasn't going to be responsible for anyone else dying. "Okay, I'm pretty sure the Order already knows because Severus raced out of here so fast. We don't even know how to get to Voldemort's place."

"Wait a minute," Draco said and looked nervously at the trio, "I heard my dad tell Knott that they were taking her to the graveyard and they were setting a trap for the ministry Aurors at Knockturn Alley."

"What kind of trap?" Harry asked with alarm over the thought of Severus being caught, and Ginny in the graveyard.

"There's this cabinet at Flourish and Blotts that leads to a cave. My father said something about calling in more of the Dark Lord's followers to ambush the Aurors," Malfoy offered up, racking his brain for more information over what he had heard.

"How do we know he's telling the truth?" Hermione said as she stood back up. "He could be lying, just to get Harry closer to Voldemort."

Ron stepped closer to Malfoy, pushing his hand flat against the other teens chest, "You're lying, aren't you, you little ferret!"

Malfoy shook his head, "Shut up Weaslebee! I risked my own neck to come tell you filthy Muggle lovers!"

"Wait - wait guys!" Harry yelled above the insults being yelled by the other boys. "Malfoy …"

As soon as Malfoy looked at Harry, Harry pulled his wand up and pointed it at Malfoy's head, "Legilimens!"

Malfoy didn't stand a chance against Harry's powerful spell, images floated through his mind that he wished Potter didn't see:

Draco getting hit by Lucius, Draco running back up the stairs + Draco watching the Death Eaters bring in a girl with long red hair + Ginny being surrounded by Death Eaters +

Harry quit the spell and watched as Draco collapsed onto his knees. He looked into Ron's eyes and tried to hold back the terror in his own voice, "He's not lying, I saw what he saw. He really did see Ginny and he really did get into trouble for watching."

Ron deflated right before his eyes that glimmer of hope gone. "My sister is with Voldemort?" Ron asked in a voice that cracked with emotion.

Draco stood up, giving Harry a dirty scowl, "I'm outta here! You guys are on your own!"

Harry stopped him when he stood in front of the door, "No way, we need your help Malfoy. We have to let Severus know what your dad has planned before its too late." A thought suddenly occurred to Harry and he reached into his pocket for the mirror.

He held it up to his face and clearly stated, "Severus Snape." After waiting a minute he said it once more. When nothing happened his stomach dropped with anxiety over the thought of his father being caught by Voldemort. Now what? Ginny was in Voldemort's hands, Severus was either caught already or about to be caught and most likely headed to the wrong place.

Ron tried to push Harry out of the way but Harry stood his ground. With the training and added weight, Harry outweighed him and was stronger now.

"Ron, we have to come up with a plan. I'm not gonna risk letting you guys get hurt," Harry said with strength. "Now think about it, if Lucius planned a trap then we have to make sure that the order members didn't walk right into it. Let me try getting a hold of Dumbledore or another Order member first. Don't worry Ron, we'll get her back, I promise."

All four teens walked out of the closet looking shaky and troubled. Harry walked over to his body guard as the man looked back at him curiously. "Excuse me sir, but I need to get a hold of someone from the Order."

The giant man pulled out a pocket watch from his cloak. He opened it up and in a deep voice said, "Order contact requested."

Harry and his friends waited to see what would happen next. There was a slight crackling noise coming from the watch. The big man waited another few minutes before repeating the same words. Still nothing happened. Harry heard him whisper out, "Impossible, someone's got to answer."

The giant man seemed to be searching for something else in his pocket before he pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil. He wrote something down and waited. Harry could see the pad looked blank before mysterious writing could be seen. The man read the note then looked at the teens once more. He began waving his wand around the door, casting a strong spell. He didn't notice when the pad of paper fell to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked as he watched the man strengthen whatever spell he was working on.

"An emergency has come up. I can not locate any Order members. You young people are to stay in this room. The spell I cast will keep anyone from entering and anyone from leaving." The man didn't stay to answer their questions; he strode down the hall with purpose.

"Wait you can't leave us locked in!" yelled Ron frantically. He tried getting through the door but was thrown back with a zap.

Harry picked up the pad off the floor and froze. Hermione came to his side and read the words on the pad. She put her hand to her mouth and stepped back with big eyes.

"What? What the bloody hell does it say?" Ron asked with bated breath.

Harry handed the pad of paper to Ron. Ron took hold of it and read the note out loud, "Emergency. Aurors missing, contact headquarters immediately."

"Oh no! Do you think they were caught by Death Eaters?" Hermione asked with tears in her eyes.

"I'm going after Ginny! She's my little sister and I'll be damned if I'll let Voldemort get a hold of her," Ron yelled. "Let's go to Malfoy's house and use that portal that they took Ginny through."

"I heard the password to get into the graveyard. But how are we going to get out of here and floo back to my house?" Malfoy asked.

Just then the guard came back and took the spell off the door, "Come on you kids, you're going back to Hogwarts." The bodyguard looked at Malfoy and said, "Except you. You need to go back home."

All four teens walked down the stairs slowly putting distance between themselves and the bodyguard. Harry knew the only chance Ginny had was for him to get to her and use the ring Severus had given him. If he could just touch her then he could activate the portkey and they would be safe. The thought of going back to the graveyard was quite daunting.

"Okay, I have a plan," Harry said in a hushed whisper. "Malfoy you floo home first. Then I'm going to follow. As soon as I get to your house you have to lock the floo so the bodyguard can't follow me. Do you know how to do that?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes, "Of course Potter. Any wizard child knows how to lock the floo."

"I'm comin with you!" Ron hissed out, trying to keep his voice down but failing.

"No, you can't! I have a ring that will take Ginny and I to the training camp. I can't be responsible for you too Ron," Harry whispered back furiously. No, he wouldn't put another friend at risk.

"Harry you can't possibly think of going there by yourself. Professor Snape needs to know about all this," Hermione reasoned. She wasn't about to let her friends go off on some harebrained scheme.

Harry rubbed his scar furiously feeling it burn and tingle, "I have to go Hermione. You know I have to go. What's the password!"

"Maleficus," whispered out Malfoy. "Just say the password as you're going through the portal and the wards will let you in the graveyard.."

Ron gave Malfoy a filthy look, most likely due to the fact that the Slytherin knew so much about Death Eaters and their meetings. He still didn't trust Malfoy but didn't have a choice at this point. He turned to Harry, "I can't just wait around doing nothing."

Harry didn't have a chance to answer as the bodyguard turned back around and watched as the teens came the rest of the way down the staircase leading into the dungeon. The half giant held the laboratory door open and watched the teens walk through.

Malfoy walked over to the floo and threw the green powder in, giving Harry a quick nod before stepping in and saying, "Malfoy Manor!"

Harry grabbed a handful of floo next, ignoring Ron's pleading look to come along. He threw the floo powder in and said "Malfoy Manor!" Harry quickly stepped into the floo as the bodyguard lunged forward and tried to grab his arm. The next thing he knew he was spinning through hundreds of floos before he came to an abrupt stop and tumbled onto the ground.

Before he even stood up Draco had his wand out and was casting wards to block anyone else from entering. Harry picked himself off the ground and looked around. The place was amazing, even more extravagant than Snape Manor. Everything was covered in black marble with white furniture and statues sprinkled throughout the large room.

"Follow me Potter before my mum finds out you're here," Malfoy said in a hurried whisper.

Harry thought the Slytherin looked more scared than he was feeling himself. Lucius was probably not a very understanding man and would most likely kill Draco if he found out what he was doing. The thought of Draco dying because he was helping him didn't sit well with Harry. He quickly followed Draco through a maze of rooms and down a dark hallway that led to the dungeon.

Malfoy pulled his wand out and opened several doors, each more foreboding than the next. Finally he stopped when they came to an old black scratched up door.

"This is it Potter. Once you walk through there you just say the password. It will take you directly to the graveyard," Draco said in a morose tone of voice. "Just don't tell anyone how you got there, no matter what."

Harry nodded knowing the tremendous risk the Slytherin was taking. "Don't worry, I won't tell."

Harry looked at the door suddenly feeling very unprepared for what lay ahead. What if he died? He never even had the chance to tell Severus how much he appreciated having a father, how much he had grown to love the man. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked at Draco.

"If anything happens would you just tell Severus …you know, that he was a good father," Harry stammered out feeling his face flush. Before he lost his nerve he quickly blurt out, "And tell him I loved him."

Draco held back a mocking remark knowing how much danger the Gryffindor really was in. He nodded then looked behind him to make sure his mum or the house elves hadn't seen them.

"Well, good luck Potter," Draco said, hoping Potter would just go before someone came.

"Right," Harry said as he looked at the door. His stomach did a flip as he grabbed the door handle. Was he doing the right thing? He wished he could have talked to Severus or even went with Severus to help save Ginny. He wondered if his father was alright.

He stepped through the door giving one last look towards Draco, "See you."

"Yeah, I'll see you," Draco said. He felt guilty for not offering to go help Potter but he knew that the consequences were too heavy a price to pay.

The dark door shut and Harry made his way forward as pure darkness surrounded him. He felt a swirling sensation and cold air whip around his head.

"Malficus," he said out loud. The word echoed off the walls making it sound like a hundred different people said the same word. Suddenly there was a cold wind as the temperature dropped about fifty degrees. The blackness began to turn to gray and he felt his feet hit solid rock.

It took a moment before the fog cleared but when it did he could see exactly where he was. Everything looked exactly the same as it did two years ago and memories of Cedric came back to him in a rush. Harry looked down at his feet and realized he was standing on an unmarked grave. He walked around the headstone and stopped in his tracks.

He was surrounded by at least fifty Death Eaters with their wands pointing directly at his heart.

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	51. Chapter 51 Evil Personified

-151- Evil Personified

It took a moment before the fog cleared but when it did Harry could see exactly where he was. Everything looked exactly the same as it did two years ago and memories of Cedric came back to him. His scar hurt so bad he thought he might scream. He looked down at his shoes and realized he was standing on an unmarked grave. He walked around the blank headstone and stopped in his tracks.

He was surrounded by at least fifty Death Eaters with their wands pointing directly at his heart.

The Death Eaters didn't move making the encounter feel more surreal than it already was. Harry looked behind him and realized he was completely surrounded. A long moment passed without anyone moving, his heart beating so loud he thought everyone could hear it. An evil voice broke the silence.

"Oh, what a wonderful surprise. A gift for the day of my marriage." Harry immediately recognized the slimy dark voice as belonging to Voldemort.

Voldemort walked around until he was standing directly in front of the-boy-who-lived. His laugh filled the ominous graveyard with a sinister sound. "My, how you've grown into quite a handsome young man. It's almost a shame you will die tonight. How did you come to find us my dear Harry?"

Harry's mind was racing with thoughts of escape and finding Ginny. It became clear to him that he would not win this war by using his newly acquired training skills. He only hoped Trelawney's prophecy was right and that he did have a "power the Dark Lord knows not!" Dumbledore had told him it was the ability to love but under the circumstances he was starting to question if that would be enough to get him out of this mess.

"Where is she, Tom?" Harry bravely spat out knowing how stupid it was to provoke the beast but not really caring at the moment.

Voldemort dropped the smile and his face became wicked with hate, "You dare to speak to me with such disrespect! Crucio!"

Before Harry knew what happened he found himself on the ground in the throes of a painful Cruciatus Curse. He held back his screams, not wanting to give Voldemort any satisfaction. His bones felt like they were breaking and his insides felt as if they were twisting. He was in utter agony before the curse was finally stopped. He could hear Death Eaters laughing and cheering Voldemort on to do more damage. He painstakingly picked himself up from the ground, clutching his wand tighter, ignoring the pain from his scar and body.

"Where is she?" Harry screamed out as the after effects of the Cruciatus coursed through his body causing him to shudder. This was by far the most painful Cruciatus he had ever felt. Voldemort was much more powerful now than he was two years ago.

"You must be referring to my bride to be, Ginevra. She is fine Harry. Do you wish to see for yourself?" Voldemort said as his snake like eyes looked over Harry's left shoulder.

Harry whipped around and spotted Ginny. She was standing perfectly still with her hands folded in front of her, wearing a long black gown and her hair was covered in a black veil. A Death Eater was standing next to her with his silver hand gripping her shoulder. Wormtail! Hate boiled up in Harry as he looked at that silver hand touching his girlfriend's shoulder. Why wasn't she moving?

"Ginny?" Harry called out in a near panic. Still she didn't move. "Ginny, what's wrong!"

Harry wanted to rush to her, grab her and take her out of this awful place, away from Voldemort and Pettigrew. Something was terribly wrong with her.

"My love, Ginevra," Voldemort's voice was soft, almost tender as he spoke.

Ginny looked up and Harry almost screamed out loud. Ginny's eyes were no longer the beautiful blue they normally were; her eyes were now a murky white. She was bewitched! Harry had seen Victor Krum under the Imperio and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ginny was under the Imperius Curse.

"Ahh yes, I almost forgot; you are in love with my beautiful bride to be, aren't you Harry? It will make my wedding night all the more pleasurable," Voldemort hissed out with glee. His laugh reverberated around the graveyard mixed in with the laughter of the Death Eaters.

No! No, this can't be happening. Voldemort was planning to marry Ginny!

"Get your filthy hand off of her! " Harry screamed at Pettigrew. He wanted to kill the bastard standing before him; he wanted nothing more than to see the evil creature crushed for all the pain and sorrow he had caused. He looked at that silver hand once again and all the anger he felt towards the man who betrayed his parents came back to him. He clutched his wand tighter, feeling magic course through him. Without meaning to, without even speaking any spell out loud; a bolt of lightening shot through his wand and knocked Pettigrew onto the ground.

The Death Eaters closed in on him until Voldemort spoke up, "Don't touch the boy, he's mine."

One of the Death Eaters walked over to Pettigrew and tried to revive him. Harry could tell that he was out cold. He didn't have any idea what spell had flown out of his wand but was glad that it had happened.

"Be nice Harry. After all today is my wedding day. I've known for years now that Ginevra would one day bear my children and stand by my side through eternity. You see, a long time ago I possessed her, I lived inside her. It was then that I knew I found the one I would one day marry. She's sixteen now, a marriageable age," Voldemort said as he stroked his wand and looked at Ginny. "A beautiful pureblood woman, even if her family is filled with Muggle lovers. I'll break her of all the bad habits she may have picked up from that filthy family of hers."

Harry shook his head; his wand inching up until it was leveled at the beast's heart. His voice came out in a dark menacing tone, "Expelliarmus!" Just as Harry yelled out his spell Voldemort said the counter spell and Harry's wand went flying out of his hands. No Priori Incantatem this time. Their wands had not connected.

Voldemort's wand shook but the beast was able to hold onto it. "Harry, you disappoint me. I was looking forward to a real battle. Hasn't that sorry excuse of a man you call 'father', taught you anything?" Voldemort asked with amusement.

"Shut up! Don't you dare talk about my father," Harry yelled against his better judgment.

"Oh how touching. Snape doesn't deserve to be defended. He's a traitor Harry. He'd just as soon turn his back on you for the right price. Where is dear old Daddy now? Does he know you came to save your sweetheart?" Voldemort taunted.

Harry dropped his gaze down to his feet, not wanting Tom to see his pained expression. He wished his last moments spent with his father had been better ones. Severus deserved more than that.

"Are you crying Harry?" Voldemort asked with merriment. "I do so love to see you cry!"

Harry wasn't crying and vowed to himself that he wouldn't give Voldemort the satisfaction of seeing him cry or scream today. He looked behind him at Ginny once more, trying to figure out how he could get a hold of her so he could set off the portkey. She was too far away for him to try to grab her. He knew he would be cursed before he got within ten feet of her. Voldemort assumed he was looking for a way to escape.

"Are you searching for a way out Harry? Perhaps we should let you wander through the surrounding mountains?" This brought several snickers from the Death Eaters. "These mountains are filled with all the creatures of the night, _my_ creatures. This entire area has been rid of every last Muggle and filled with all the beasts I now control. For miles and miles around you will find nothing but my followers; vampires, giants, werewolves. I do believe there are Dementors in the woods to the left," Voldemort alleged. "Shall I call forth a few of them for you Harry?"

Please no, Harry screamed in his mind. He glanced at the large mountain to the left and noticed shadows moving about the trees. It had never occurred to him that not only was he walking into the graveyard but also walking into the very heart of Voldemort's dwelling. Of course these mountains would be void of Muggles and full of dark creatures, who else would want to live so close to a monster like Voldemort?

Harry looked back at Ginny again. He had to get closer to her somehow.

"Doesn't she look pretty, Harry? I bet you wish you were me?"

Harry whipped his head back around, glaring at Voldemort once more, "I'd rather die than be someone like you."

Voldemort's flat face broke out into a malevolent grin, "I can arrange that!"

Voldemort looked around before asking, "Which of my faithful servants would like a chance to play with the-boy-who-lived, before I kill him! Lucius, Bella, you have proven your worth. I grant you the favor of being first. Do as you wish _but keep him alive_."

A deafening roar could be heard as the Death Eaters moved forward with wands up. Harry was levitated to the middle of the circle and dropped unceremoniously onto the ground. Two figures emerged from the crowd.

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Draco watched as Potter disappeared through the black door. He wasn't sure what was waiting for Potter on the other side but knew it led to the graveyard. He paced in front of the door for several long minutes trying to decide if he should go after Potter and try and help him or if he should just let events unfold without interference. His father would kill him if he was caught, that he knew with certainty. But, he also had no desire to join in with Voldemort and become one of his minions groveling at his feet. Potter was the only one who could save him from that future.

He knew there was only one choice; he had to go after Potter and try and help him. He tried the handle to the black door but it wouldn't budge. He shook it again but it was locked! Pulling his wand from his robe he pointed it at the door and yelled out, "Alohomora!" He tried the door again but it was still locked. Maybe the door locked itself after Potter used it without authorization from his father?

Draco made up his mind and ran back up the staircase to the locked floo in the living room. He took the locking spell off and threw a handful of green floo powder in. "Hogwarts!" he said before stepping in and spinning away.

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Severus had fought hard against his former Death Eater associates, earning himself a severely burned hand in the process. The whole rescue had been a trap. Now that he was no longer a spy, the information they were getting was sketchy at best. Dumbledore was still at the ministry trying to sort out this mess and get more help to search for Ginevra Weasley. Severus knew that Harry would be heart broken if anything happened to her and probably try to go after her himself. He was glad he had the bodyguard watching over the Golden Trio and that they did not know what was going on.

Severus ignored orders from Dumbledore to go see Poppy when he returned to the school. He had only one thought on his mind; get back to Harry. Therefore he was shocked when he walked into the Headmaster's office to use the floo and saw Weasley and Granger sitting in chairs with Begoda standing over them. He immediately searched the room and saw that Harry was not in it.

"Where is Mr. Potter?" Severus barked out at the body guard as Lupin and McGonagall stepped into the room.

"He got away. He followed the Malfoy boy back to his house. I tried going after him but the floo was locked down," the bodyguard was interrupted by Hermione.

"Professor, he went to the graveyard! Malfoy said his father kidnapped Ginny and took her to the graveyard through a portal in their basement. Harry went after her and said he was going to use the ring you gave him. He said it would portkey them to the training camp!" Hermione said, heart racing with fear for her friend.

Severus grabbed Hermione's shoulders, "Did you hear the password?"

"It was Maleficus!" Ron said in a hurry. The door to the office opened and in walked the rest of the inner circle of Order members. The Weasley's looked miserable and both parents grabbed their son and held him close. Tonks was sporting an angry welt across her head and Shacklebolt had his arm in a sling. The surprise ambush had taken its toll.

Hermione repeated her story to the rest of the group. Molly almost collapsed but Ron caught her. Her baby was with Voldemort!

Severus had no intention of waiting for a plan to be devised. He intended to break into Malfoy Manor and go after his son. Just as that thought went through his head the floo turned green and out stepped Draco.

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Draco stood up and looked around. In a flash he was grabbed up by his shirt collar and staring into the Potion Master's face.

"Where is my son?" Severus hissed out.

"That's why I'm here professor! He went through the portal to the graveyard. I came back to get help for him," Draco said in a rush. The professor let go of his collar and Draco straightened out his robes before saying, "The portal door leading to the graveyard is locked, I can't get it opened."

Severus didn't waste anytime; he grabbed hold of Malfoy's collar with one hand and threw floo powder in with the other. "Malfoy Manor, "he spat before throwing Draco into the green flames. He turned back before going in himself and said to Minerva, "Have Aurors waiting at the training camp. If Harry gets a hold of Ms. Weasley they will be portkeyed there."

"Severus, I'm coming with you," Shacklebolt said, followed by the rest of the Order members.

Molly gave Ron a kiss on the head before following Severus through the floo to Malfoy Manor. Ron asked if he could go to but was flatly refused by all the adults remaining in the room.

Minerva gave Fawkes a message to take to Dumbledore at the Ministry before following through the floo herself.

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Harry looked up into the eyes of the two people he despised more than anyone else, other than Voldemort that is.

Bellatrix removed her mask smiling down at the wretched little brat. "Bella wants to play! Does baby Potter want to play with me?" Bellatrix said in a falsely sweet tone as she pointed her wand at the boy.

"Do your best, you hideous old hag," Harry said sounding braver than he felt. His scar still burning with pain.

Harry tensed up in preparation for the curse to come. He looked at Ginny standing in the same spot as before across the graveyard and felt like he was failing her. His gaze came back to Bellatrix as she whispered out, "Conflo!"

Harry curled up into himself as tiny red spiders crawled under his clothes and over his entire body. With every bite they left a giant burning and blistering welt. The welts felt like tiny fires that scalded down to the bone. He bit his lip vowing not to scream but it was hard, it was so very hard. The painful curse hurt more than he could bear. It seemed like Bellatrix held the spell forever before she finally let up. The tiny spiders disappeared but it took longer for the flames under his skin to subside.

Harry sagged flat down onto the ground while breathing hard. His body felt as if it had been scorched with red hot coals. He waited for the sensation to leave before forcing himself to sit up. He could feel the beginnings of the uncontrolled magic start to build. No! Not now, he had to get Ginny away before his uncontrolled magic was released.

"How disappointing," came Voldemort's slimy voice, "you didn't even make him scream, Bella. Perhaps Lucius will do a better job?"

Harry sat with his head hanging down. He was scared and couldn't take much more pain. Concentrating hard on taking deep breaths to calm the fear that threatened to overwhelm him, he closed his eyes and thought of Severus. Just thinking of his father gave him strength.

He opened his eyes to see shiny black boots under the black cloak standing before him. An ominous voice filled with hate and loathing was heard, "**I **promise to make him scream, my lord."

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Severus ran after Draco down to the dungeon at Malfoy Manor. All the doors leading to the portal were still wide open. He could hear the rest of the Order members following behind them. When they reached the black door he tried to opening it with a blast. The door didn't budge. He cast several unlocking charms knowing that they most likely would not work.

"Can you open it Severus?" Molly asked as she rung her hands with anxiety over thoughts of what was happening to her baby. Her baby girl was in the hands of the vilest creature to walk the earth.

"The locking charm is not one I am able to break. The only other way to open this door is to melt it using a potion," Severus replied matter of factly. He pushed his way through the crowd of people and stood in front of a brick wall. Before anyone could ask what he was doing a door appeared before their eyes. Severus pushed open the door to reveal a laboratory.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Draco asked with wide eyes. "I never knew we had a laboratory in the house!"

"You did not know about it for a good reason. This is the laboratory I used when I worked for the Dark Lord. It is stocked with ingredients so lethal they could melt the house down to the ground if brewed the correct way," Severus informed the wide eyed Slytherin and rest of the people crowded into the dungeon. He pulled forth every ingredient he needed and began his potion.

"Please Severus, can I help?" Draco asked with remorse as he watched Severus begin to cut up a black plant with thorns.

Severus pointed to a jar using the knife in his hand, "Heat that to 100 degrees. Cool it down to zero." Severus could tell the Slytherin was regretful over the actions of his father. He couldn't give it a second thought though as his mind was wholly on saving his son. His hands shook as he continued cutting and he cursed himself for having to start again. He wasn't aware that Arthur was in the laboratory until he heard him speak.

"Calm down Severus," Arthur offered as his own stomach was in knots over the fate his only daughter may be suffering.

"I am finding it rather difficult to calm down at the moment, Arthur. My son is …" Severus trailed off, not wanting to voice the position his son was most likely in. It was too frightening to fathom.

"I know. We must have faith though," Arthur whispered.

Severus probably would have blasted anyone else for saying that, for trying to offer hope. But Arthur was in the same position as he himself was in. "How can you be so optimistic?" Severus asked, truly wanting to know.

"Because to believe anything different would destroy me," Arthur said quiet enough that his wife couldn't hear.

Severus looked into the other man's eyes, "I understand. Becoming a father has stirred a part of me I never knew existed. It hurts." He placed a hand to his pained heart as it skipped with fear for his son.

"It's called fatherhood and I can't say enough good things about it," Arthur said as he choked up a bit.

A moment passed before Severus continued, "We had a disagreement this morning. It pains me to know my last minutes spent with my son were not pleasant for him."

Arthur shook his head, "Severus, don't chastise yourself for being a father. Harry has many good memories of you. One fight does not negate all the good times you had … and are yet to have."

Severus wished that were true but still hated himself for being so harsh with the boy. He would do anything to relive this morning, to have another chance to make things right.

"Potter will bring her back," Draco offered.

Both men had forgotten the boy was in the room and looked at the fair haired Slytherin boiling the potion. Draco looked up at them and nodded his head, "He always beats that bastard. There's no reason to think anything different will happen this time."

Severus nodded back, grateful for the tiny bit of hope that still burned.

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"Get up boy!" Lucius shouted then raised his wand and forced Harry into standing.

Harry felt his legs buckle under his weight and went sliding back down to the ground.

"Worthless fool," Lucius spat under his breath.

Harry felt a leather strap snake around his wrists. No, please don't tie me up! Thoughts of Privet Drive forced their way into his head as he was suddenly lifted by the strap and the other end tied to a branch overhead. His toes were barely able to touch the ground as his arms were stretched mercilessly over his head. He had no way to escape now, no way to get Ginny out. He would have to keep the uncontrolled magic from breaking free. Ginny would be hurt along with the rest if that power was unleashed.

"I want to hear you scream Potter!" Lucius jeered as he raised his wand. "Crucio!"

The pain was immediate and cruel. The agony seeped into his very soul; he was unable to get away from it. His body bucked and thrashed with the pain but he wouldn't let himself scream. The pain overtook him and his mind slipped back to his 'lessons' at Privet drive.

He knew he wasn't allowed to make any noise, Uncle Vernon would hurt Hedwig. He bit his lip until it bled down the front of his face as he held back the screams threatening to erupt from deep inside. The pain pulled him back to reality and he felt the uncontrolled magic began to build until he forced his mind back to Privet Drive once again. That was the only way he could keep it at bay. When he had lived at Privet Dr. the uncontrolled magic had ceased to exist. It wasn't until Severus began to help him heal emotionally that the uncontrolled magic came back to protect him. He let his mind continue to slide back, now believing it was indeed Vernon who was hurting him.

He kept his mouth shut, protecting Hedwig at all costs.

Lucius was livid! He held the curse on the boy as long as he dared. He knew the Dark Lord wanted the boy to be kept alive. Damn, why wouldn't the idiot boy scream? He released the curse and spelled away the magical straps. The boy immediately fell to the ground in a heap of quivering muscle.

Harry couldn't move. His arms wouldn't obey; they remained stretched out in front of him as he lay on his side. The silver and red ring mocking him for lack of use. His body throbbed with so much pain he had to fight to stay conscious. He thought of his father once again and pulled strength from his memories of having a real parent to go home to.

"I am disappointed Lucius. I would have thought you had more power than that. Why, you couldn't even make a mere teenager scream. Crucio!" Voldemort hissed with rage.

Harry saw Lucius hit the ground and begin to thrash around the dirt with screams escaping his lips. The sight gave Harry a bit of satisfaction.

Voldemort ended the curse then walked over to the quivering boy on the ground. The beast looked back at Ginny. Harry saw where Voldemort was looking and tried to pull his attention back to him.

"You can torture me all you want Tom but I won't give you the satisfaction of hearing me scream," Harry said in a gravelly voice filled with pain and anger. His scar burned worse than ever. The uncontrolled magic was building now that he was back to the horrible present.

"You insolent foolish boy," Voldemort hissed. Harry flinched back when the monster stepped closer. Voldemort laughed with merriment over making the-boy-who-lived frightened. "See everyone, he is indeed afraid of me." The Death Eaters laughed over their master's delight.

"The fight is a little one sided, don't you think? It's not like I have fifty Aurors pointing their wands at you!" Harry spat out, knowing what a precarious position he was in but suddenly not caring.

Voldemort raised his pointed boot and kicked Harry in the mouth, forcing Harry's head to slam into the ground. The uncontrolled magic built to an all time high.

"You bore me Harry. You are no fun at all," Voldemort declared before turning around.

Harry looked up and saw that Voldemort was looking back at Ginny.

"Come my beauty. Prove to me that you love me. Kill this freak of nature you once called a boyfriend," Voldemort said in a menacing voice.

Ginny obediently walked over to Harry and lowered her wand, pointing it directly at Harry's heart. Harry looked up into foggy eyes, "Fight him Ginny. Please, fight him!"

Ginny blinked but continued pointing the wand at Harry's heart. Harry thought he saw a glimmer of recognition but it was gone in the next blink.

He felt the uncontrolled magic well up inside him with force. He couldn't stop it any longer; he had to get Ginny out of here before it released! His head was still lying on the ground, eye level with Ginny's feet. For the first time he noticed that Ginny didn't have any shoes on. He surreptitiously worked the ring off his finger and pushed it onto her middle toe. The uncontrolled magic was getting stronger causing the ground to shake. He had to get Ginny away from him, away from the uncontrolled magic lest she get hurt or killed too.

The Death Eaters and Voldemort looked around in a near panic, wondering where the tremors were coming from. Harry knew that he didn't have anytime left, the uncontrolled magic would erupt any second. He rubbed the ring just as he heard an eerie voice come from Ginny's mouth. She began to say, "Avada Ka…"

Harry quickly yelled out, "Emilio!" and removed his finger before the spell ended. With a small pop Ginny disappeared!

Voldemort went livid and began ranting and raving. He kicked Harry about the head. Harry didn't care, his girl was safe.

He saw Bellatrix and a few other Death Eaters apparate away, too scared to stay with the earth shaking for no apparent reason.

The uncontrolled magic built to an all time high and this time Harry didn't try to hold it back. His heart beat wildly at the thought of dying, he knew he wasn't strong enough to live through this. The blinding white light shot out with so much force it actually unearthed some of the headstones. The white light scared him so much his teeth started to chatter. He watched through squinted eyes as it continued to pour out of him.

A part of the white light took on the form of a body and then another form of a body appeared. A warmth spread throughout him like being lowered into a warm bath. His teeth stopped chattering as he recognized the two forms floating before him; his parents.

As soon as the white light released Voldemort went flying back screaming as the light coursed through him. The magic was too pure, too good, making Voldemort whither in pain as it flowed through his evil body. It tore at his very essence to have so much purity and love inside his soul. He screamed as his body began to disintegrate. His yelling brought forth the beasts living in the forest surrounding the graveyard.

Harry looked up into the loving eyes of his parents. They didn't speak but he could feel their love for him and knew they were proud. Once again they had come to him in his time of need. He wanted to follow them, go where ever they were at. The thought of his new father warmed his heart and in a flash they were gone, along with the warm feeling. He knew they wanted him to stay and he also knew that he would see them again. Where ever they were they still loved him and their love continued to live inside him. He wanted to cry for having never known them. The air became cold once again sending a shiver down his back.

Voldemort screamed louder, hissing with pain and clawing at his own body. He sank to the ground as his insides turned to liquid and ran forth onto the ground. He was still holding onto his wand and with his very last breath he shot out a curse that hit Harry in the leg.

Harry curled up into himself as the pain radiated up his leg. The pain overtook his senses and he withdrew from reality. He began to loose consciousness but fought hard to stay awake. He forced himself into sitting as his leg swelled to double its normal size. The only one moving at all was Voldemort as he disintegrated before Harry's eyes. Voldemort's screaming was like a beacon calling to the beasts that inhabited the haunted forest.

Harry could feel the Dementors as they got closer. His head spun as he tried to stand. He had to get to his wand! He looked around and saw that all the Death Eaters were lying unconscious or dead on the ground. He was void of compassion for any of them. Voldemort's body looked as if someone took a giant needle to him and sucked out his insides. His vision betrayed him and he could barely walk in a straight line as he dragged his cursed leg behind.

He hoped his wand was still in the same place as before but the explosion from the uncontrolled magic had made it harder to decipher where that was now. Before he even turned to look he could feel the Dementors getting closer. He knew he didn't have the strength to fight all of them off and his only chance would be to run. That didn't seem likely as he stumbled forward and fell to the ground. His hand slipped upon something and with a thrill he realized it was his wand. He didn't look back as he scrambled to his feet and ran for the forest. His last hope of surviving lay in the haunted mountains ahead of him.

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Severus had just finished up the potion when the black door shook as if an explosion had been let loose on the other side. Molly lost control of her emotions and began to scream hysterically. Tonks tried the door one more time but it still would not open.

Severus stepped forth and began to paint the door with his toxic potion. It only took a minute before the door melted into the floor. Without looking back he ran into the portal screaming out, "Maleficus!" The portal became pitch black before his feet hit the ground. The fog cleared and the scene before him came into vision. His heart twisted in knots as he looked about. His boy, where was his boy?

Dementors began to drift out of the dark forest and suck the very souls out of the unconscious Death Eaters strewn about the ground. Severus held up a Patronus as he searched amongst the black robed figures lying on the ground. The Dementors left him alone as they wanted nothing to do with the patronus he held before him like a shield. They were quite content to enjoy the real thing instead. He ran from one body to the next but there was no sign of Ms. Weasley or of Harry.

The rest of the Order members joined him with wands in the ready. They too cast their own Patronus' and helped to look through the bodies for Ginny and Harry. Molly was crying as she crumbled to the ground. No one was left alive, no one.

Severus stumbled upon what looked like it had once been a body then realized it was the remains of Voldemort. The bones of the face were still recognizable with slit snake like red eyes that no longer held life. With deep pride he comprehended that his son had succeeded. Voldemort was dead. He couldn't find any happiness in that as he only had room for one thought in his mind: where was Harry?

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TBC

Okay, friends - I sent this out early because of all the great reviews. We're down to the last few chapters. Please write me +)


	52. Chapter 52 Magical lake

Harry ran, keeping close to the trees so he wouldn't catch the attention of the Dementors. His lungs burned and his mouth was so parched it hurt to swallow. If the Dementors spotted him he was sure to end up with the kiss before anyone could find him. The thought of Severus kept him going even with his leg blazing in sharp pain and his body shaking with the after effects of the Cruciatus. A smile came to his face when he thought about the battle. He had done it, he had killed Voldemort! No way would he stop fighting now.

He figured he was about two miles from the graveyard when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The chill swept through his entire body. He stopped by a giant boulder and looked up in the sky. Two Dementors flying above the trees! Were there more?

He could hear the sounds of a rushing river and tried not to think of how thirsty he was. The Dementors were circling the area above him almost as if they sensed he was there but not sure exactly where. If he could just make it to the river then he could follow it down until he reached a town of Muggles. His leg throbbed with raw pain but he knew he had to keep going. The tall pine trees provided good coverage from the Dementors. They must not be able to sense his exact location through the magic the trees provided. He made his way down to the river looking forward to a cool drink.

He bent down to cup a handful of water, never noticing a long slippery arm snaking up to him until it was too late. The arm wrapped around his leg and yanked him into the frigid water. He fought against the slippery thing holding him under. His wand was stuck in his back pocket but the tentacle from the creature had snaked around his entire body now. Harry panicked as he fought to get air. His foot connected with something and the tentacle let up for a moment. That was all he needed to grab hold of his wand.

He shot a rapid succession of reducto curses at the creature until it slowly sunk deeper into the river. He tried swimming toward the edge but the current was too strong. He was being carried down the river so quickly that all he could do was keep his head above water. The frigid water was unyielding as it trapped him in the powerful current. He couldn't remember any spells that would help him out of this situation.

The roar of the waterfall could be heard before he even saw the edge of the rushing river. He couldn't see over the edge but knew it would be a long way down. He tried with all his might to swim to the edge, grabbing at anything that was floating by. The edge neared closer until he felt himself plunging headlong down the waterfall!

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Severus held his wand out shouting, "Point me - Harry Potter!" Nothing happened. The wand didn't move or even quiver with magic. What did that mean? Was it possible the boy was …No! No, he couldn't even let his mind go down that road.

He was mildly aware of Molly Weasley sitting on the ground, rocking back and forth as her husband tried to comfort her without success. He couldn't concern himself with the Weasley's right now, he had enough distress just thinking about his son.

Shacklebolt looked pretty shaken up over the scene but quietly said, "I'll check the training camp, Severus. See if the kids made it out of here." He apparated from the graveyard but came back just a few short moments later with Tupin in tow.

Tupin ran towards Molly, "She's safe Molly, Ginevra is safe! Come see for yourself."

Molly looked up with so much hope, so much yearning at hearing those words.

"My baby's safe? My Ginny's safe!" Molly couldn't let herself believe it yet, she had to see with her own eyes. "Take me to her! Take me to my Ginny!" Shacklebolt held onto Molly and Arthur's arms. They apparated out of the graveyard with a loud pop.

"Wait!" Severus yelled at Tupin before she left too. He had a tiny wisp of hope. "Is Harry with her? Is Harry back at the camp as well?"

He knew the answer before the Auror spoke. Her look said it all.

"Sorry Severus. Only Ginevra portkeyed in. She had this around her toe," Tupin answered with regret as she held out the silver and red ring. "She was suffering from the Imperio but the spell broke all on its own." Tupin looked at the bodies on the ground, eyes falling on Voldemort's empty red eyes. Now she knew why the spell suddenly broke on its own. "Professor Dumbledore is trying to perform Legilimens on her. She doesn't remember a thing."

Severus took hold of the ring as a lump formed in his throat. Yes, it would be just like the altruistic boy to give away his one chance to escape this dreadful place. Why did the exasperating boy exhibit so many irritating Gryffindor qualities? A bit more of the Slytherin self preservation would have been just fine with him.

Several ministry Aurors apparated into the graveyard with Shacklebolt. Within five minutes the place was crawling with excited ministry officials. Harry's name was being spoken as if he was a hero.

Severus stood stock still amongst the hullabaloo, trying to come up with a plan to find his son. He watched as Draco knelt next to his dead father, crying for all he was worth. Poor boy knew he was partly to blame for the death. After all, the Slytherin had been the one to lead Harry here.

Shacklebolt cleared his throat and Severus became aware of a group of Aurors looking at him.

"Yes," the potion master answered in a lifeless tone of voice.

Shacklebolt indicated towards the large group, "We're ready to begin the search Severus."

Yes, a search party would be a good place to start. Severus nodded his head and listened as the search party began to strategize. He forced himself to snap out of his defeatist attitude and come up with a plan to get his son home. The thought of loosing the boy was too painful to let himself dwell on any longer.

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Harry felt his stomach drop as he was plunged down the waterfall. He was thrust down into the cold murky water and his lungs burned with the need for air. He struggled to the surface as the roaring river forced him further down into the dark forest. The further into the forest he went the darker and colder it became. He was floating now and could have made it to the edge if only he had enough strength to swim. He was so dizzy, so lightheaded and so very cold. As hard as he tried he couldn't get his body to obey. His world swiftly became dark as he lost consciousness.

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The Aurors tried casting tracking charms but the area was so immersed in dark magic that it did not work. Shacklebolt dispatched the ever increasing group of Aurors and Unspeakables into the haunted forest. They all had ways to communicate in case anyone found any sign of Harry.

Severus started out into the forest when a thought struck him. Without telling anyone his plan he apparated back to Snape Manor. He quickly made his way into the house and called forth Hedwig. The snowy white owl flew down the stairs and silently landed on the professor's arm.

"Accio Firebolt," Severus loudly commanded and Harry's broom came floating down the stairs. He quickly took the bird and the broom and apparated back to the graveyard.

Severus quietly spoke one command to the white bird, "Find Harry."

The bird pecked at his ear then took off, flying high over the haunted forest. Severus followed on the Firebolt, hoping his plan would succeed.

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Harry woke up on the bank of a very beautiful lake. The lake water was rainbow hued and surrounded by colorful trees and bright vibrant flowers. The most amazing statues of every species surrounded the magical rainbow pond. He stood up on shaky legs, walking around looking at the statues.

The most interesting statue was of a man in tattered clothes with a sad expression on his face as he hugged his legs. The others were of magical creatures that almost looked frozen in time. Harry touched the statue of a threstral that looked to be curled up with its legs tucked under him. It was hard like stone but colder than ice.

This was the most beautiful place he had ever seen but also the coldest place he had ever been to. He sat down shivering in his wet clothes. The sun was almost set and the air was becoming more frigid by the minute. Harry took off his shirt and cloak then reached for his wand to cast a drying spell. His wand wasn't in his back pocket! He checked everywhere but his wand was gone.

The sun set and snow appeared out of nowhere. Freezing cold air whipped around the teen, sending shivers through his body. He put his wet shirt and cloak back on and looked for a way out of there. He stood up but his head spun and he had to sit back down again. His head felt so heavy, like it was made of stone. He tried to crawl towards a cave but he didn't get very far. The cold seeped into his bones making him shiver uncontrollably. He quickly felt himself going in and out of consciousness.

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Severus followed Hedwig for a few miles before the bird began circling a wide area high up over the trees.

"Where is he Hedwig? Go find him," Severus urged as he spotted a few Dementors off in the far west. Hurry up you pesky bird. He knew Harry would become even more vulnerable as the darkness brought out all the evil creatures that lived in these woods. He hoped the rumor of vampires existing in the forest was a falsehood.

When the bird continued circling the large area, Severus made up his mind to search on foot. Obviously the bird would be of no further assistance at this point. Perhaps the forest was filled with to much dark magic. He landed in a clearing and made his way into the forest. Hedwig flew by his side, stopping whenever he stopped. The area was too large; there were too many places to hide. With a feeling of dread overwhelming him, Severus pushed onward.

XXXXXXXXX

Harry had to get out of here before he passed out for good. If he fell asleep in this frosty area he knew he would never wake up. In a horrible realization he knew the statues surrounding the lake were once alive. The magical lake had claimed them as her own and froze them to be forever still. He could hear the river calling to him, with a soft whisper to stay.

Harry shook his head and tried to keep from slipping from reality. "No!" he shouted out, "Leave me alone!"

But the spirit of the lake was relentless, calling upon the snow and wind to become ever more bitter.

He tried again to stand but immediately fell to his knees. He could no longer feel his legs. Where was his wand? He must have lost it in the plunge down the waterfall. He felt around his pockets once more, forgetting that he already checked there. He felt the flat cold surface of the mirror Severus had given him and pulled it out.

Would it work this far from the school? Was Severus even alive? He had kept his thoughts from drifting to the reality that his father may have died during the attack at Diagon Alley. He lifted the mirror to his face. He could see his lips were nearly blue and icicles had formed along his hair.

"Dad?" Harry whispered in a croaky voice while looking into the mirror. "Severus can you hear me?"

The wind pushed harder, seeping into his very bones. Harry curled up into his wet cloak and thought of the statue of the man huddled in a ball. Would he end up frozen into a sculpture like that man?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Severus had just finished searching a cave then decided to head down to the river he was hearing roaring off to the west. A soft voice made him stop dead in his tracks. Was he yearning so hard to see his son safely home that he begun to have delusions? The voice sounded like Harry had called to him! He reached in his pocket and pulled out the now quivering mirror. For the briefest moment he caught sight of Harry's face. The boy's lips were blue and he looked to be struggling to stay awake.

"Harry! Son, where are you!" Severus yelled into the mirror, berating himself for not trying to contact him this way earlier.

"Dad, I n-n-need you," came a whisper soft voice. And the image of Harry came into focus.

Severus could see that Harry was struggling to keep his eyes open and his face was looking blue.

"Harry, I'm here. Tell me where you are?" Severus asked his voice fraught with worry.

Harry felt his eyes getting heavier as the cold took hold of him. He knew he wasn't going to make it now.

"W-w-waterfall, s-s-statues, help me," the freezing teen managed to say just before his head hit the icy ground. He held onto the mirror for dear life, holding it before his face so he could see his father.

"Stay alert and talk to me," Severus commanded sternly. He watched as his son closed his eyes, then the mirror went blank.

Severus jumped on the Firebolt once again, flying faster than ever before. He flew high above until he spotted the river. He followed it down to the waterfall. The thought of his son falling down the giant waterfall forced his heart to beat faster.

Severus followed the waterfall down and saw that there were several waterways where it ended. He didn't take the first two because they led into the biggest open lakes. He took the next one and found it ended in a swampy lake. He followed it out then held the mirror before his face once more.

"Harry? Wake up!" A blurry image of Harry appeared in the mirror. His son was shaking uncontrollably by now and Severus knew that frostbite was not far from setting in.

"D-dad? I d-did it! I k-killed V-Voldemort!" Harry exclaimed with chattering teeth. He had to let his father know he had succeeded before he slipped away.

"Indeed. Voldemort never stood a chance," Severus choked out with emotion as he maneuvered the broom further down the river. He saw the small smile on his son's face.

Harry suddenly felt the magical lake take a strong hold once more but this time he didn't have the energy to fight it. With ever increasing exhaustion he struggled to say goodbye. He didn't want to leave his father, he didn't want to cause the only person he ever truly trusted, to have pain in his life but he knew he wasn't strong enough to fight any longer. With an aching heart he forced the words out of his mouth.

"I'mm not g-goin t' mmake it d-dad," Harry's teeth chattered uncontrollably. He felt his energy being drained after all he had been through. "Th-thank y-you f-for e-everything. L-love you," He managed to say before succumbing to the strong hold and closing his eyes. He didn't want to leave Severus on his own but the thought of seeing his parents again was starting to pull him away. He could see his mum's face and almost feel those arms wrap around him like when he was a baby.

The magical lake now had a tight hold on Harry that he couldn't get away from. Within seconds it would be too late. The iciness seeped further into his body making his breathing become more labored. Every breath burned his struggling lungs with frigid air.

Severus' heart raced, he knew his son was dying, he could feel it in his soul. "No! Harry James Potter you listen to me now! Don't you dare let yourself slip away. Sit up this instant!" Severus yelled in a choked up voice, his mind filled with panic.

Harry struggled to hear his father but the glacial air tried to keep the words away from him. His mother's presence was felt but instead of welcoming him he knew she wanted him to fight harder. Her spirit was telling him to not give up.

His mind tried to reach out to her, in his head he was screaming, 'I can't mum, please I can't fight anymore. I did what I was supposed to. Please let me come.' He was so tired, so very tired. Couldn't he just rest now, didn't he deserve to rest?

He felt his mum push him back into the living. His heart filled with mixed emotions. Part of him resented being turned away by his own mum but the other part of him didn't want to leave his new father alone. With that push from his mum came a small spark of energy that seeped deep within his soul. Her feelings were understood, 'It is time for you to live.' Simple, that statement but with so much hardship and sacrifice behind it. His parents had given their lives so he could live.

"Harry James Potter, you will not die!" Severus yelled in a strangled sob. He was more determined than ever to reach Harry before it was too late. Without Harry, his life would be empty, void of all that was good.

"Harry, do you hear me!"

With a suddenness Harry startled awake. His parents were gone and this time for good. His heart cried out for them to come back, take him with them. Gone was the warm feeling deep in the core of his heart. He knew they wanted him to stay and he was alone once again. He struggled against the magical pull of the lake, not wanting to disappoint his parents or Severus. With renewed vigor he pushed towards consciousness. He wasn't alone, he still had Severus. He had to have hope that he would survive this and struggled with everything he had to answer his father's call.

"Y-yes sssir," Harry forced himself to uncurl and sit up with the tiny bit of renewed strength that had come from his mum. It hurt so terribly to move, his whole body protested but he knew he had to try.

Severus could see that his son was no longer lying in the snow. With a shock he knew why Harry had the energy to fight again; Lily. He could feel her presence now. She was helping Harry and helping him too. He heard her message loud and crystal clear, 'Take care of Harry. His job is done, now it is his turn to live.'

Then the gentle presence was gone, leaving him with an overwhelming responsibility that he willingly accepted.

He would not fail Lily. She had entrusted him with the greatest gift you could give to another person.

With a renewed vigor and spark of hope Severus shouted, "Harry, look around and tell me what you see?"

When Harry didn't respond for a minute Severus raised his voice and used the harshest voice he could muster, "Do not let go! Do you hear me son?"

Harry focused on the voice pulling him from confusion and looked around before answering, "Yess sssir, I see a r-rain-bow r-r-iver, t-tall yyellow t-treess," that was about as much as he could say before the next rush of wind fought to keep a hold on him. He fought against it, with one thought in his mind; I can't let my father down.

Hedwig began to beat her wings frantically and suddenly let out a loud succession of hoots! Severus followed her as she dodged between trees. Yellow trees!

As fast as they could fly they headed down the river. Severus could feel the cold creep into his skin as he followed Hedwig further down the river. He knew they were heading in the right direction. The river snaked around a large bend and plunged again. Now he could see the water was changing into a rainbow hue. The cold was almost unbearable and he felt pained for what his son was going through.

After fighting his way through a heavy clump of trees that almost knocked him off his broom, he broke through and flew over the rainbow lake that Harry had described. He could see several statues scattered around the lake. Then he spotted a dark figure lying in a heap on the ground. He swooped down to the snow covered ground and gently pulled his son close.

"Harry! Harry open your eyes!" Severus yelled with emotion. The boy didn't move but the Potion Master could feel he was still alive. He pulled his wand out and cast a very light heating charm across Harry, not wanting to harm his frozen skin. If he heat him up too quickly the boy would go into shock.

The teen didn't move. Severus quickly searched his cloak for a potion to get the boy's body working once more. He had brought along a host of potions not ever expecting to be using any of them on his own son. He held onto Harry with one arm around his shoulders and poured the contents of the vial through his parted lips with the other. It took a moment for the potion to take effect but finally there was movement in Harry's limbs.

"Open your eyes Harry!" Severus yelled out and saw the boy stir.

Harry groaned in agony as he felt his skin come back to life with the heating charm. His skin burned so dreadfully he wanted to scream. He wanted to let himself drift back into oblivion once again.

"Harry, look at me!" Severus shouted in his most ominous voice. He felt his son flinch in his arms and struggle to obey.

Harry heard the command and tried to open his eyes. He didn't give up. He forced his eyes to open and saw his father staring back at him. He felt like he was on fire. Everything was burning hot. "Y-yes sir," Harry managed to say.

The boy wasn't gone; he was trying to fight for his life. Severus felt a surge of love and protectiveness he didn't know he was capable of feeling.

"Good Harry, well done my boy," Severus said softly as he held him tighter. Hedwig flew around them, flapping her wings and squawking loudly.

The potion coursed through Harry's body beginning the task of warming him up from the inside out. The pain was close to unbearable but it also meant he could feel his arms and legs once again. His mind began to clear making him more aware of his surroundings. He could hear a loud squawk that pulled him further into reality.

It took Harry a moment to comprehend what the noise was but it finally occurred to him that it was Hedwig making all that fuss! A small smile spread across his face at the thought of his old companion making noise once again. He felt his father's strong arms lift him up and hold him close and it was at that moment he knew that both he and Hedwig were going to be okay.

His thoughts were confirmed when he heard his father's soothing voice whisper out, "Exceedingly well done. I am so very proud of you, son."

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The End

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	53. Chapter 53 Epilogue

Epilogue-

Severus pulled his wand out and began to assess Harry's wounds. It was obvious the boy was suffering from an acute attack of the after effects of the Cruciatus, along with bizarre sores all over his face and hands. The extreme frigid air was not helping matters as it just made his breathing much more labored. The tired teen's face was a mass of swollen bruises with a lower lip that bled down his chin.

The stoic potion master's hands shook as he wiped blood off his son's chin. Harry looked up at him at that moment and their eyes connected; for a flash of a moment Severus saw into Harry's memories. The memory was fleeting but so very powerful. Harry had been in the throes of the Cruciatus curse. More disturbingly he was struggling to hold back from screaming. A flash of Vernon and Hedwig flashed into view before the memory was gone

The boy had pulled forth his lessons from Privet Drive in order to keep from screaming. The reason for the bloody lower lip was now clear.

"Harry, you refused to scream in front of Voldemort?" Severus asked incredulously. Foolish Gryffindor bravery.

Harry nodded and swiped more blood from his chin.

"Why?" Severus asked appalled at the dangerous game his son had played with the most evil wizard of their time. He was even more disturbed over Dursley's punishments being called forth by Harry to help the boy hold back from making noise.

"Because he _wanted_ me to scream," Harry painstakingly whispered out, "I didn't want to give him the satisfaction."

"Idiot boy," Severus gently admonished. A small nagging feeling grew deep inside; would Harry revert back to holding in his emotions once again? The consequences would be devastating. He could only imagine the horrors the wounded teen had just lived through but to bottle all that up would surely be too overwhelming for a boy to live with.

"Well, you need not hold back from expressing your pain any longer," the Professor advised hoping his son might let his guard down now. When the boy just stared back at him with a blank expression he knew they might be facing bigger issues down the road.

Severus frowned before pointing his wand up in the air and calling out, "Periculum!" The spark of fire flew out of his wand and lit up the night sky. The ministry officials and Order members would now be aware of their location and couldapparate directly to them. Within moments Aurors began apparating straight to the magical lake. Tonks was the first to arrive and ran across the slippery ice to get to them.

"Is Harry okay?" Tonks asked as she knelt down on the other side of Harry.

"I believe he will recover. I must get him to Poppy," Severus said and bundled Harry closer to him.

"Dad, my wand," Harry whispered out in a gravelly voice. "Fell in the lake, I think."

"I'll find it Harry," Tonks offered as she patted the weary teen on the arm. Harry rewarded her with a small smile.

"You did it Harry! Voldemort is dead," Tonks said with delight.

"Yeah, I know. I was there," Harry answered back with a cheeky grin.

Several more Aurors and Unspeakables apparated in. By the time Severus scooped up Harry and stood to leave, the place was crowded with much excitement over finding the missing teen.

Shacklebolt advised apparating directly to the gates of Hogwarts to avoid the backed up floo. It seemed word had already gotten out that Voldemort was dead and many people began celebrating.

Severus held his son close to his chest as he apparated directly to the gates of Hogwarts.

The Potion Master was unprepared for the onslaught of reporters waiting to get a glimpse of The-Boy-Who-Lived. That fact alone forced him to change his mind and decide not to use a locomotor to get Harry up to the school. Instead he gathered Harry closer to his chest, draping his own cloak over the boy's shivering form and blocking any view the reporters might have of the injured teen. Utilizing his most dangerous glower he plunged into the group of reporters on his way up to the castle gates.

"Stop! Is that Harry Potter? Is he alright!"

"Is Harry Potter dead!

"Is it true, did Potter really kill Voldemort?"

"Wait; give us a glimpse of the-boy-who-lived!"

The reporters were relentless but Severus ignored them all and stayed the course to the gates. He could feel Harry violently shivering against his chest but did not think it judicious to stop and address those problems at the present time. He was almost to the gates when Rita Skeeter stopped him by stepping directly in his path.

"Mr. Snape, will Harry live?" Rita audaciously inquired, completely impervious to the ex-Death Eater's glare.

_**Mr. **Snape, indeed. _"Yes. Now promptly step aside," Severus growled out as Harry shook beneath the cloak and clutched at his shirt with a death grip. He could feel the boy's fever through his clothes.

"Is he hurt? What exactly is wrong with him?" Skeeter asked as the Professor brusquely pushed past her.

Severus ignored the bothersome woman and swiftly stepped past the gates. He could hear the reporters calling out to him as they were effectively barred from entering onto the school grounds by the magical gates. He was half way up to the school when Harry clutched his robes tighter. He abruptly came to a halt and pulled the cloak back in time to see the boy stuff a fist into his mouth to silence any sounds that escaped.

"Do not hide your pain from me, son. Your suffering would make a grown man cry out," Severus admonished none too gently. He wished the boy would just stop trying to mask the agony he was in.

"Mm' okay," Harry whispered out thickly. His body shook with a mixture of the after effects of the Cruciatus and the pain the bitter cold had caused.

Severus snorted and shook his head. "We must have Madame Pomfrey assess you before I provide additional potions. Either, occlude the pain or cry out but stop trying to hide it," The Potion Master advised, wishing he could switch places with his son.

"I'll occlude," Harry answered back through clenched teeth. He closed his eyes pushing all other thoughts behind the stone wall in his mind. It worked for a few seconds but the pain broke though sending a new stream of agony coursing through his battered body. He bit his already tender lip to hold back from crying out.

He felt his father's grip tighten and heard Severus whisper words of comfort as they continued up to the school. All thoughts of his success over killing Voldemort had left him as he struggled to get through this bout of agony. He wished he could just pass out until the pain subsided.

They had just crossed over the bridge when a group of people came out to meet them. Severus could see the Minister make a beeline for them, even going so far as to step in front of the Headmaster himself to reach them first! That little man grated on his last nerve.

"Is Harry all right?" Fudge asked as he pulled Severus' cloak away from Harry to get a better view. Harry turned his head into his father's chest, burying his face in his scratchy shirt.

Severus would have hexed the man on the spot save for the fact that he didn't have his wand handy at the moment. He yanked the cloak back out of Fudge's hand and draped it over the teen once more.

"My son is in need of a medi-witch," Severus stated without going into details. When Fudge continued haranguing him with questions he felt his last nerve give way. Fortunately, Albus stepped in and successfully shut the annoying man up by port keying himself and Severus with Harry directly into the infirmary.

"Sorry about that Severus. How is Harry?" Albus asked with true alarm etched on his tired face.

Severus gave him a distressed look that said it all. Albus nodded and flicked his wand at the infirmary doors. The doors locked shut, effectively keeping out all who might try to get in.

Severus noticed the screened off bed in the furthest corner of the infirmary with a group of people behind the screen.

"Ginevra is also recovering here," Dumbledore informed quietly. Severus nodded but focused once more on his son.

He gingerly laid Harry down on the nearest bed, which also happened to be Harry's regular spot when he ended up in the infirmary. Harry screamed out in agony when his leg was straightened out, causing Severus to halt any further movement. Poppy came rushing over to rescue him before he further injured his son.

"Oh he's here! Thank Merlin you found him!" Poppy exclaimed bringing the Weasley's attention out from behind the screen.

"Harry's here!" Hermione cried out and ran from across the room followed by Ron.

The medi-witch waved her wand and successfully immobilized the leg from further movement. Severus stepped back to watch the medi-witch begin the arduous task of healing his boy. Poppy raised up her hand to stop Hermione from getting any closer.

"Let's give the boy some privacy while I examine him, shall we?" Poppy sternly stated as she erected a screen around Harry's bed with a flick of her wand.

"Is he alright?" Arthur asked and gave Severus a pat on the back.

"He will survive," Severus stated, oddly comforted by the man's presence. "How is Ms. Weasley?"

"She'll be fine after a few days rest." Arthur said then gave Severus an encouraging nod before escorting a reluctant Ron and Hermione back to Ginny's bedside.

As Poppy waved her wand over Harry, the boy's clothes disappeared leaving him in just his boxers. Albus, Severus and Poppy all took in a collective breath at witnessing the teen's battered body. He was covered in welts that looked to be blistered burns. His leg was a deep purple and twice as big as it should be. And if that wasn't bad enough his entire body quivered with the obvious after effects of the Cruciatus Curse. He was also suffering from a fever most likely brought on by his time spent at the magical lake.

"What happened to your leg Mr. Potter?" Poppy asked with underlying distress. She had never seen anything like that before. She ran her wand over the leg and knew that it was filled with dark magic.

"Voldemort," Harry answered through clenched teeth and watched as all three adults tried not to look too dismayed over hearing that. Poppy promptly went about casting healing spells with the help of Dumbledore. The spells made the Gryffindor feel even more contaminated as the dark magic seemed to spread. His head spun and he felt as if he might vomit.

Severus felt his anger boil in his veins over the state Harry was in. He turned on his heel and began pacing in the small screened off area until he heard the injured teen call out for him.

"Dad?" Harry looked up as the room continued to spin. Every single part of his body throbbed in pain.

"Hush son, everything will be fine," Severus whispered as he took hold of the boy's hand. He helped Poppy administer the many potions to the wounded boy. There were so many potions to counteract all the damage that had been inflicted.

After several strong potions Harry's breathing became easier and his stomach settled down a bit. He closed his eyes hoping to sleep the pain away. Poppy flicked her wand and Harry was dressed in the infirmary pajamas he knew so well. A soft blanket was swiftly tucked around him by the efficient medi-witch. Within moments he nodded off into a potion induced slumber. No dreams to wake his troubled soul.

Severus sat the entire night by the bed, ignoring his own need for sleep. When the sun began to rise he felt a warm hand gripping his shoulder and realized he must have nodded off.

Albus waited for Severus to fully wake up before he said, "I must show you something."

Severus was hesitant to leave Harry's side but the headmaster looked as if it may be important. He quickly cast a glance around the screen and down at the far end of the room. The Weasley clan seemed to realize the need to leave Harry alone so he reluctantly followed the headmaster.

Albus led him into Poppy's office and pointed to the pensieve on the desk, "Those are Nott's memories of last evening. Apparently Shacklebolt stopped a dementor from giving the man 'the kiss'. Nott is the only other person to witness the events that took place in the graveyard, save for a few Death Eaters that fled. The memory was still intact. Shacklebolt took it as he escorted the man to the ministry."

Severus looked down at the bowl with inscriptions of runes written on the rim. With a deep breath he stuck his face into the bowl.

The scene before him made him sick with the realization over what his son had suffered through. He was standing in the graveyard and watched as Harry was being tortured. He saw everything. He saw Voldemort cast the first Cruciatus and could see the Death Eaters cheer. His heart broke when Harry bravely defended him to Voldemort. He saw Bella cast a dark arts spell that he had never heard before. He watched as Malfoy strung his son up and saw the fear in his Harry's eyes. He could only imagine the torture the boy was going through over being tied up like that. He also noted the way his son never made a sound. He watched as Ginevra Weasley almost killed Harry and the brave act his son took of sending her away at his own cost. The price had been heavy indeed. Now he knew how Harry had acquired the bruises on his face. The memory ended abruptly as Knott was knocked out by that incredible magic coming from his son.

Severus found himself standing next to the pensieve once more. His heart twisted in grief over witnessing such events. It was a miracle the boy could still function after being tortured so violently. He was so angry at himself for not being there to help. Guilt consumed him. He should have kept the boy from harm.

"I revealed the memory so you would understand how to help Harry recover," Dumbledore said in a soft deliberate voice.

That pulled Severus out of his self loathing and helped him to focus on the real task at hand. Yes, he had to be there to pick up the pieces. He had to be there to help put Harry back together. It was his job, his responsibility as the boy's father. His promise to Lily still so fresh in his mind. He gathered his emotions before making his way back to the bedside of his son.

When he stepped around the screen he saw that Harry was still sleeping.

Harry looked better, not quite so shaky and pale. Severus placed a hand on the sleeping teen's forehead. The fever was almost gone. He slumped into the chair and tried to forget the scenes he had just witnessed. He couldn't help but to focus on the fact that his son almost died.

His thoughts turned to the damage that had been inflicted on the boy, forcing him to get up and begin pacing once more. Just the thought of the Death Eaters torturing his son made his hands shake with rage. He looked over at the bed and realized the boy was awake and had been watching him, studying him.

"You're mad," Harry stated in a soft voice.

Severus stopped pacing and gave him a curt nod.

"At me?" came the worried voice of the teen.

"No," Severus answered, then added, "Perhaps a bit… but my anger is directed at the ones who did this to you."

A brief pause before …

"They're dead," Harry said in a soft voice, hoping it wasn't all just a bad dream, that the deed had truly been done.

"Indeed," Severus said and took his seat by the bed once more. "Yes, they are dead."

"I killed him," Harry said in a haunted voice, void of pride or happiness. He scrunched down under the covers and squeezed his eyes closed. Voldemort's red eyes looking up, void of life continued to haunt him. He was a killer now. Even though a curse had not been cast he had still killed someone with his magic. He felt so dirty, so dark.

"Harry?"

Harry heard his father call to him but couldn't face the man. He had to push this all behind that stone wall in his mind, bury it deep inside before it took over.

"Harry James Potter, you stop that this instant!" Severus commanded. He knew what was happening. He could tell the boy was internalizing this, making it his fault. Taking the blame as he had been taught to do since he was a young child.

"No, Severus! You don't understand. I killed someone!" Harry shouted then rolled to his side with his back to his father.

Severus brusquely took hold of Harry's shoulder and pulled him back so they could look each other in the eye.

"No, Harry. I will not let you do this. You killed a beast that took pleasure in killing innocent people. The monster that killed your parents, the monster that caused Black to die, Cedric and hundreds of other people who were good and true. You are to be commended, not condemned! I will not let you condemn yourself," Severus stated in no uncertain terms. He would not stand by and watch his son turn against himself for something he had no choice in doing.

"I know all that but… I killed someone," the last part spoken in a near whisper. Harry felt so contaminated over what he had done.

"Yes, but not by your choosing," Severus said with resolve.

Just then Albus stepped around the screen with a smile, "Ahh, you're awake! Harry, you accomplished a great feat! The whole wizarding world is celebrating!"

Harry glared at the headmaster, not wanting anyone to congratulate him for becoming a murderer.

Dumbledore's face became more serious, "You had no choice."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore!" Harry yelled out. His leg throbbed with pain, pulsating with dark magic. "Can't you do something 'bout this leg?" He spat out irritably and glared at both men.

Severus gave him a reproachful scowl before gently folding the covers back to reveal the purple swollen limb. He placed a hand on the leg and felt an odd sensation touch his magic, something dark was beneath the skin. "Voldemort used a curse I do not recognize."

Albus placed his hand on Harry's lower leg then closed his eyes. Harry and Severus watched as the man recited words chanted in a long forgotten language. The headmaster opened his eyes and frowned, "I believe the spell used was quite old. I will need some time to investigate the curse."

"How long?" Harry growled out rudely. Severus raised an eyebrow at him but he chose to ignore the silent reprimand.

"Rest assured, I will work in the utmost haste my boy," Dumbledore kindly declared. He offered a reassuring pat on the foot and pulled Harry's wand out of his robe.

"Tonks spent all night searching for it," Albus said as he handed the wand to Harry, then disappeared behind the screen once more.

Harry squirmed under his father's glower and placed the wand on the nightstand.

"Perhaps you are hungry?" the potion master asked, knowing Harry usually did not act so insolently towards the headmaster.

"Food is the last thing I need. I just want to get home," Harry replied in a surly tone of voice as he pushed his glasses onto his face.

Severus noticed Harry scratching at his scar and pushed the hair back to get a better look at it. The scar had already begun to fade.

Harry pushed his father's hand away and sat up.

"I need to get out of here," The Gryffindor suddenly announced. He begun to swing his legs over the side of the bed but stopped when his father pushed him back down against the pillows.

Severus wasn't quite sure what was wrong with the boy but certainly did not think it wise for him to go traipsing all over the school in his condition. "Harry, you have suffered a great deal. You must allow your body time to heal."

Just then Ron and Hermione stuck their heads around the screen. "May we talk with Harry?" Hermione asked with caution. Severus nodded and left the three teens alone. After all the boy had been through he may need some time to work this out.

Hermione immediately grabbed hold of Harry and hugged him. Ron stood next to her and roughly patted him on the back. "Good job, mate," Ron offered.

"Good job?" Harry repeated with contempt. He shook his head and closed his eyes, closed out the adoration he could clearly see written on both Gryffindor's faces.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

Harry scrubbed at his face with his hands, "Just… I don't know, just that I feel … I feel dark." There he said it.

"You mean you feel evil?" Ron asked incredulously. "Harry, that's the thickest thing you've ever said! You just killed Voldemort, for crying out loud!"

Harry threw his arm up over his head and stared up at the ceiling. Nobody could understand the feelings he had eating away at his soul.

"It must have been horrible," Hermione said sympathetically.

"Yeah and I'm sure it didn't help to have Ginny try and kill you?" Ron tactlessly added. Hermione shot him a look that made him re-think his last statement.

Harry covered his face with his hands at the memory of Ginny cursing him with the Avada Kadavra. "Is she okay?" he asked from behind his fingers.

Hermione was ready to strangle her boyfriend over his insensitivity. "She's getting better. Voldemort didn't hurt her or let anyone else hurt her but she's still pretty shaken by the whole experience."

"I expect she should be," Harry said quietly. The thought of Voldemort getting so close to actually marrying Ginny made him want to hit something. He couldn't even imagine how she felt about the whole ordeal but figured she needed time to recover too. Bloody hell, he needed to get out of here and let some steam off. His anger boiled with the thought of Voldemort touching Ginny.

"Every time she wakes up she starts getting so hysterical that Pomfrey has to fill her up with more potions," Ron said. "It's a good thing you came when you did Harry. Mum and Dad think you're brilliant. They can't stop talking about you."

Great! Harry thought with contempt, now even the Weasley's would treat him like a super hero!

Just then Madame Pomfrey stepped in carrying a tray of breakfast foods, "Sit up Mr. Potter. It is time to eat."

"Not hungry," the irritable teen mumbled out still looking up at the ceiling. He failed to spot the arrival of his father now standing at the foot of his bed.

"Mr. Potter, if you wish to get better you must take nourishment. The whole wizarding world is waiting out there to congratulate you. Now sit up and eat," Poppy said and placed the tray on his nightstand. She began to magically plump the pillows Harry had his head on, forcing the teen to sit up.

That irritable dark feeling ate away at him. "Just leave me alone!" Harry snarled out and flung the tray to the floor with a loud crash. Food hit the white screens along with his friends. The medi-witch took in a sharp breath and nervously looked at the teen.

"Mr. Potter is not fit for company at this time," Severus declared sternly with a threatening eyebrow raised.

Harry sat up, suddenly realizing what he just did. He gave his father a sheepish look before awkwardly trying to clean up the mess from his bed.

"Harry, I can do it," Hermione offered hesitantly then waved her wand as she recited a wash up spell. The mess disappeared but the unease remained.

"Please leave us," Severus stated in an ominous tone as he kept his fixed stare on his son. He waited for the Gryffindors to scuttle out of the partitioned room. Madame Pomfrey looked nervous as well and seemed to scurry out with haste.

Harry looked at him with all the guilt and self loathing a boy could marshal. Severus sat down in the chair next to the bed and grabbed hold of Harry's chin.

"You will not behave with such inappropriate behavior again. Hero or no, you will begin to conduct yourself with decorum."

Harry scowled over being called 'hero' by his own father but nodded his head, "I'm sorry sir."

Severus released the boy's chin, "You may apologize to Madame Pomfrey after you eat." He flicked his wand and another tray of food appeared. He thrust the tray at his son.

Harry didn't want to eat but after his embarrassing display he decided not to protest. Once he started eating he realized how hungry he really was. He was almost finished eating when Severus finally spoke.

"What brought on that distasteful display of conduct?"

Harry shook his head and pushed the tray away, "I dunno. I just hope everyone doesn't start treating me differently."

"You might as well get used to it for the foreseeable future," Severus affirmed.

"You called me a _hero_ too," Harry accused in that same surly tone he adopted of late.

"Shut up and take a nap," Severus bit out with irritation as he sent the tray to the kitchens with a tap of his wand.

A smile slowly spread across Harry's face, "I guess telling me to _shut up _balances out calling me a hero."

"Do not fear, I will not become one of your obsequious admirers, son," the professor declared with disparagement, "As a matter of fact, your recent behavior must still be addressed, Mr. Potter."

"_Mr. Potter?" _Harry repeated out loud and looked up at his father's stringent face. He must be in big trouble to be called that.

"Harry," Severus said with less severity, "After speaking with Albus I feel we must assume the curse Voldemort shot at you was significantly more powerful than the average dark curse."

"You- you mean I-I acted like that because of the curse?" Harry asked with a panicked look. Oh, bloody hell, when was Voldemort going to be out of his life!

Severus placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, "No need to panic. However, until we find the counter curse I suggest you use extra care with being in command of your emotions."

Harry shook his head in denial but knew it was true, "No, no. I don't want to start acting like _him_."

"Calm down boy. You will not become the next Dark Lord."

Harry shot his father a look of horror before struggling to get out of the bed. He had to take a shower, wash off all the filth Voldemort cast at him.

"Where do you think you are going?" Severus asked as he tried to push Harry back onto the bed.

Harry pushed his father's hands away forcefully, "I have to shower. Just help me get to the washroom, Dad."

Severus thought he understood why this task had become so important to the teen. Whenever he had come back after attending a Death Eater meeting he also felt the strong desire to wash away the vestiges of evil. He took a firm hold of Harry's arm and lifted him into a standing position. The boy hissed out in pain as his leg straightened out.

Harry heavily leaned on his father all the way to the shower. He waited while the professor started the water in the shower for him, then left him with a curt nod. Once the door closed behind the professor he began to undress. This was the first time he had seen the damage done to his body. He cringed at the thought of those tiny spiders biting him, all the while doing his best to keep from looking at his leg.

The thought of Voldemort's dark magic being transferred into him had continually crossed his mind. He didn't feel evil or dark but … anything was possible when it came to Voldemort.

After the vigorous shower he felt much better. Severus must have brought him fresh clothes because when he stepped out of the shower they were waiting in a neat pile. He pulled the warm long sleeved shirt on then struggled into boxers and soft athletic pants. He used the wall to help support himself on the way back to his bed. He was utterly exhausted by the time he made it back to the infirmary bed but felt a million times better.

Madame Pomfrey bustled over with a tray of potions. After apologizing to the medi-witch and taking the potions Harry fell into a deep slumber.

XXXXXXXXX

He wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping but something brought him out of the nightmare that had been plaguing his sleep. Harry opened his eyes to find Ginny standing next to his bed. It startled him to the point of panic and he practically fell off the other side of the bed in his haste to move away from her. Of course it hadn't helped that the nightmare he had just been reliving was of Ginny pointing her wand at him and chanting 'Avada Kadavra' over and over.

His reaction startled Ginny and she stepped away from him as she clapped her hands to mouth. By this point Harry was on one side of the bed panting heavily and Ginny was on the other looking completely mortified.

"Um, I better go," Ginny said with distress and looked on the verge of tears.

"No! Stay," Harry quickly said when he came to his senses. He awkwardly made his way around the bed and stepped closer to Ginny. "I'm sorry bout that. It didn't mean anything."

Ginny didn't look very convinced over hearing that, "I'm sorry about… you know."

Harry put a hand on her arm and pulled her to him. She willingly wrapped her arms around him and began to cry. They hugged each other without saying anything further until she felt a bit calmer.

"Harry, I'm so sorry," Ginny began but Harry didn't let her finish.

"Gin, you don't have anything to be sorry about. It was _him_. It was just _him_," Harry said as he pushed her hair away from her face and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, but **you **fought off the Imperius before so why wasn't I able to?"

Harry shook his head and grabbed both her hands in his, "It doesn't matter anymore. He's gone." He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed them. Fresh tears were rolling down her face and she looked so vulnerable. He raised his hand up to her face and wiped the tears away with his thumb.

He pulled her closer and kissed her gently on the lips as she wrapped her arms around him, grateful for the forgiveness he offered.

"Better?" Harry whispered into her soft hair.

Ginny nodded but tightened her grip on him, "Everyone knows what I almost did."

"How? Who told them?" Harry asked as anger coursed through him.

Ginny shrugged and shook her head, "It was in the Daily Prophet. My mum said it was probably someone in the ministry."

Harry stepped back away from his girlfriend and ran his fingers through his hair, "Damn it! Why can't people just keep their big mouths shut! Bloody hell!"

"The papers aren't all bad Harry. You're a hero now and Fudge said he always knew you'd defeat Voldemort all along."

Harry snorted with contempt, "Sure he did! That must have been the reason he almost let Umbridge kill me last year with those Dementors. I don't want to see _any _of those newspapers."

"Why not? You really are a hero, Harry! For Merlin's sake you saved us all," Ginny said emphatically.

Harry stepped back away from her, hating the way he felt. He didn't want to be around her right now. That look of veneration was just too much for him to take.

"I'm a little tired," Harry said and backed up to the bed. He saw the look of worry on Ginny's face but chose to ignore it.

"I-I kinda thought we could watch the fireworks together this evening," Ginny said with hope.

"Fireworks?" Harry asked and shot a look to the window. He suddenly realized the sun was almost set; he had slept most of the day.

Ginny shrugged, "Yeah, they're celebrating in Hogsmeade tonight. Ron said everyone is watching the fireworks from the Quidditch pitch. Dumbledore's even going to have a cake and butterbeer."

"Oh, I don't think Madame Pomfrey will let me go," Harry said, not wanting to have any part in the celebration. He looked down at his hands to avoid the hurt look he knew she'd be wearing.

Ginny looked as if she knew he was lying and stepped closer to the screen, "Okay, I guess I better let you rest then. Bye."

"Bye," Harry said without looking up. He felt horrible over treating Ginny that way but… he didn't think he could stand to be congratulated by everyone over what he did. Damn it! Why did he feel so plagued with anger over all this? He should be feeling elated, right?

He turned towards his bed and punched his pillow before flopping down onto it. Bloody hell, he had to get out of here. The last thing he wanted was to see his schoolmates looking at him with those big expectant eyes. Just the thought of it ate away at his nerves until he couldn't take it anymore. He reached into the nightstand drawer and took out the gold snitch Severus gave to him this morning. He said his father's name and released it into the air. The ball took off flying out the door.

Within moments Severus came walking into the screened room at a swift pace.

Severus stopped short when he saw the agitated state Harry was in, "What has happened?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," Harry said but didn't feel fine. "I want to go home."

"I do not believe that would be beneficial at this time," the potion master stated flatly.

"I don't care what's _beneficial_ anymore. I just want to get the bloody hell out of here!" Harry screamed as irritation coursed through him. He threw the pillow at the screen, knocking it on its side with a loud crash.

Severus couldn't help but believe this belligerent behavior Harry displayed was being brought on by all the torment his son had suffered and was so fond of burying. The boy needed to release his emotions before the uncontrolled magic took over yet again.

He sat downby his son, harshly grabbing him by the shoulders, "What has happened to bring this untoward behavior about?"

"Nothing!" Harry yelled out trying to pull away from the professor's steel grip, to no avail. His shoulders sagged and he hung his head in shame, "I just want to get away from everyone. I don't want people looking at me with those stupid looks of awe."

Oh, now he understood. Severus knew that his son was trying to run away from this whole experience. Of course the looks Harry's friends gave him would remind him of the deed that had just been done. In turn forcing the boy to face the events that just took place. It became clear to him that Harry was trying to push the whole experience out of his mind, never to deal it again. Unhealthy as it was, it would be a temporary solution for the boy's pent up emotions. No, he couldn't allow that to happen this time. He'd already allowed Harry to bury so many other events this year.

They would face this head on …together, whether the troubled teen wanted to or not.

"Harry you were always destined to kill or be killed by Voldemort," Severus stated chillingly as Harry looked up at him sharply.

"No! No, shut up! I don't want to talk about this!" the upset teen exclaimed with fury. Harry struggled once again to be released from the iron grip on his shoulders.

"Harry! Stop that and listen," Severus admonished. He waited until the boy settled down a bit before going on, "Your parents died so you could live. If Voldemort had not died then _you _would have died. Your parents would have died for nothing. Is that the way you would repay them? Stop trying to hide from the feat you accomplished and begin to face it. The good and the bad need to be faced."

Harry shook his head violently, "No, no, I don't want to think about it."

"Why?"

The question was so simple but the answer was filled with a host of guilty feelings over what he was becoming. His chest hurt to breath and his throat tightened up, "I'm like him now. I killed, I murdered. I can't think about it anymore, please, please don't make me think about it."

"But you must," Harry's father said quietly and pulled his son to him. "You must."

Harry buried his face in his father's chest and let his guard down. He felt his eyes fill with tears and couldn't stop the emotions from coming any longer. He wrapped his arms around the professor, grateful he had someone to share his grief with. He cried for all that he had lost of himself that night in the graveyard. He cried for all that he had lost in life. He cried for his parents not being here to celebrate this day. He cried for all the people who gave their lives for this day to take place.

Severus held his son tighter and shared the deep anguish the boy was going through. His own eyes filled with tears over the torture the boy had been through this past year and the losses they had all suffered. His own guilt over his part in this war begun to fade. That word _atonement _came to mind once again. He was Harry Potter's father and Lily had trusted him enough to care for her son. His heart had been breached; the hard shell had finally been broken and cast away. He had allowed himself the luxury of being loved and to love back.

Yes, they both had a long road ahead of them but Severus had no doubts they would get through this and anything else that would come their way. He knew this to be true because he would never give up.

They stayed that way until the infirmary was shrouded in darkness as the sun set completely. A bright spark of light exploded in the black sky. Harry turned his face to see out the window but leaned against the father he had always wished for. He felt completely content to stay where he was. He felt a spark of hope for the future. He wasn't alone anymore; he had a father to help him get through this. All those years of yearning and hoping for a family had finally come true.

Another bright colorful light filled the sky, casting the infirmary in blue light.

"You see Harry," Severus said quietly, "the whole world is celebrating. Now it is your turn to live."

Harry smiled. Yes, it was time to live.

XXXXXXXXXX

It has taken me over 200 hours to write this story ...the least you can do is review before you read the sequel ...please.

**Harry Lives!**

**Sequel is up! But please stop and review before reading the sequel ... it only takes a minute and gives me the magic to continue writing for you.**


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